Baked Pasta with Pumpkin and Stracchino Béchamel

Method

1. Cut the pumpkin into slices, peel, and dice.
2. Slice the shallot into rounds and chop the sage.
3. In a large pan, heat oil, add the shallot, then the pumpkin and sage. Sauté over high heat, letting the pumpkin sit to create browned notes.
4. Deglaze with water, cover and cook for at least 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes until the pumpkin absorbs the liquid.
6. Turn off the heat and blend the pumpkin (optional).
7. Cook the pasta in salted water for half the cooking time.
8. Prepare the stracchino béchamel: in a blender, add stracchino, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Blend.
9. Drain the pasta al dente directly into the pot with the blended pumpkin. Mix.
10. Assemble the dish: grease a baking dish, spread a layer of pasta, add cubes of smoked scamorza, grana, and pepper. Repeat with another layer: pasta, stracchino béchamel, scamorza, grana, pepper.
11. Final layer: pasta, béchamel, grana, and any leftover pumpkin.
12. Bake at 200°C for about 35 minutes.
13. Serve.