This dish came about when I had left over ravioli filling from a recipe I was testing. I loved the filling and thought, how can I use this filling in another way? Enter this pumpkin, turkey and pasta cocotte en fonte recipe. I had started with a yummy pumpkin and ricotta filling, and by adding ground turkey, fresh spinach, pasta and a crunchy panko topping flavored with butter and sage, I got this yummy, filling dinner that is well balanced and delicious.
Since I am making this dish in October, I whipped out my favorite pumpkin shaped cocottes, and served this as a wonderful fall meal. I must admit, I love the presentation too.
What is a cocotte en fonte?
Cocotte en fonte is a French term that translates to “French oven” or “Dutch oven” in English. A cocotte is a small, fireproof dish that’s used to cook and serve individual portions of food. Cocottes are typically made from cast-iron and have an enamel coating, which gives them a smooth, creamy surface. Since I typically cook for two, having these cute little cocottes is great for making individual servings of everything from soup, to easy healthy turkey chili to my Italian beans & cheese. It is like having mini casseroles. (BTW: they are fabulous when I’m entertaining larger groups.) I can make everything in advance, fill the dutch ovens and then jut pop them into the oven right before I’m ready to serve dinner.
How to make Pumpkin, Turkey and Pasta Cocotte en Fonte
To get started, make the base sauce. In a large bowl, you’ll mix the pumpkin puree*, ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper and brown sugar substitute. I use low-fat or part-skim ricotta and a brown sugar substitute to keep this as light as possible. I don’t like to add extra sugar, but wanted that slightly sweetened taste. However, you can always use full-fat ricotta cheese and real brown sugar. (*Remember, this is not pumpkin pie filling. You want pure pumpkin puree and you can find that in a can at the supermarket.)
Mix to combine. If you like the idea of a pumpkin pasta sauce recipe, be sure to try my Chorizo & Pumpkin Stuffed Shells recipe too.
Add in the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. You can use finely grated Parmesan, shredded or shaved. The choice is yours. I had shaved Parm on hand, and used that. Put the bowl to the side.
Next, spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and brown the ground turkey meat with salt and pepper over medium-high heat. Once the turkey has cooked, add a couple of handfuls of fresh, baby spinach and mix into the turkey meat. Let the spinach wilt. Put the skillet to the side and let it cool slightly.
Meanwhile, bring a stockpot of well-salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook for one minute less than instructed on the package. I used rotini pasta because that is what I had on hand. You can also use any short cut pasta like bow ties, shells, penne, etc. Use what you have.
Drain the pasta in a colander and let cook slightly.
Next, you’ll want to mix everything together and season again with salt and pepper. Remember to season every step of the way. Put this to the side and move on to making your topping. At this point, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small skillet, melt the butter and add the chopped sage. I also had a large pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. If you like, you could add a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder to up the flavor of the breadcrumbs too. Add the panko and stir the panko to coat the breadcrumbs. Let cook and toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown.
You are now ready to assemble your cocottes. Evenly split the pasta mixture between the two dutch ovens. Top evenly with the toasted breadcrumbs and put in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes until cooked through and everything is hot.
Serve and enjoy the meal. Note: you can prepare the dish and spoon into the cocottes and keep in the refrigerator covered until ready to bake off. You can keep these in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remember, there is a raw egg in the mixture.
Once baked, if you have leftovers, just keep in a covered container in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through. BTW, I kind of liked it cold too!!!
If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to try some of my other casserole type comfort food recipes. Some of my favorites include:
Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin (Endives au Jambon)
Chicken and Rice Veggie Casserole
Pumpkin, Turkey and Pasta Cocotte En Fonte
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Cup Low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar substitute
- ¼ Cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
- ¼ Tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ Cups Dry Pasta, tubular or shell shaped
- Cooking spray
- ½ Lb. Ground turkey
- 2 Handfuls of fresh baby spinach
- 1 Tbsp. Light butter
- 2 Fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Mix up the pumpkin sauce. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, egg, brown sugar, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and a large pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Put to the side.
- Cook your pasta about one minute under the package’s instructions. Cook in salted water. Drain the pasta and let cool slightly. Put to the side.
- In a small skillet, sprayed with cooking spray, brown the ground turkey with salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked through, top with the fresh spinach and stir into the meat until it is wilted. Put to the side to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, mix the pasta, pumpkin sauce and ground turkey and spinach. Season with more salt and pepper.
- Spoon into two individual sized cocottes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter and a couple of finely chopped sage leaves. Let the butter melt and get flavored with the sage. Add in the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat the breadcrumbs in the butter and sage. Let the breadcrumbs toast up for a couple of minutes.
- Top the pasta in the cocotte dishes with the toasted panko, and bake for 25-30 minutes until everything is heated and cooked through. Serve and enjoy.
