• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Greek Foodie logo

  • MY GREEK PANTRY
  • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Hello!
  • My Greek Pantry
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Easy Recipes » Quick Pumpkin Stew with Tortellini

    Quick Pumpkin Stew with Tortellini

    Last updated January 9, 2023. Originally posted January 9, 2023 By Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves. 10 Comments.

    Share
    Pin
    Share
    Email
    Tweet
    Yum
    WhatsApp
    0 Shares
    Go to Recipe Print Recipe

    Our pumpkin stew is fragrant and flavorful with savory guanciale, sweet Medjool dates, and tortellini pasta. This gorgeous, velvety stew is highly appealing and hard to stop eating. Try to resist consuming the whole pot, as it tastes even better the next day.
    It’s a unique pumpkin stew in a one-pot meal, ready in thirty minutes.

    If you love this pumpkin stew, you will also love this rustic galette with squash, butternut pasta, or red kabocha squash soup!

    A bowl with pumpkin stew with tortellini and a spoon, half view of a pan with stew and a plate with herbs and spices.

    Why this recipe sings

    Today’s pumpkin stew is a delicious meal made in just thirty minutes. Our traditional greek stuffing inspired the flavors. We had leftover ingredients after Christmas and decided to use them all by making this stew. The result was so successful we made it three times additional times that week, substituting ingredients to find out what worked best. It was easy to replace with a variety of pantry items. There is no extra salt used in this recipe. You can certainly tweak it to your liking. Just wait until the cooking is done. Broth and guanciale are salty items that will give flavor to this stew. Being cautious with salt will pay out.

    Here is what you need

    All the ingredients for making pumpkin stew on a butcher block.
    • Pumpkin. For faster dinners, I get the precut, already-steamed pumpkin at my local grocery store. You can certainly cook the pumpkin yourself. Great substitutes are butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
    • Guanciale. It is an Italian cured meat product prepared from pork cheeks. It is used in making authentic carbonara pasta. It has a strong flavor, but you can substitute it with pancetta or thick bacon for a milder result.
    • Broth. Chicken or vegetable.
    • Medjool dates. They are a large, sweet variety of dates from Morocco, but they grow in the US and other countries. These dates are luxurious and sweet with an intense caramel flavor. Suitable substitutes are dried figs, prunes, apricots, and raisins.
    • Chestnuts. I love having precooked chestnuts in my pantry ready to use. Alternatively, you can use hazelnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts.
    • Parmesan cheese and heavy cream.
    • Fresh tortellini pasta. Fresh tortellini filled with prosciutto is my go-to, but other fillings will work just as well.

    How to make this pumpkin stew

    Gunciale cut in bite size pieces on a butcher block.
    Prep. Chop the guanciale into bite-size pieces. Chop the onion and garlic, and herbs. Cut the chestnuts into four pieces and chop roughly the Medjool dates.
    Guinciale pieces in a deep sauce pan.
    Place a medium-large pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the guanciale and cook until the edges have caramelized.
    Guinciale pieces in a deep sauce pan with chopped onion and garlic.
    Add the onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
    Pumpkin cubes and guanciale pieces
chopped onion and garlic in a deep sauce pan.
    Add the cubed pumpkin with the chopped herbs.
    Pumpkin cubes and guanciale pieces
chopped onion and garlic in a deep sauce pan.
    Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes.
    Pumpkin cubes and guanciale pieces
chopped onion and garlic in broth in a deep sauce pan.
    Pour in the stock.
    Pumpkin stew with chopped chestnuts and dates on top in a deep sauce pan.
    Add the chopped chestnuts and dates, stir and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
    Pumpkin stew with tortellini in a deep sauce pan.
    Follow with the heavy cream and parmesan, and tortellini. Cook in high medium heat until the tortellini is fully cooked, about five minutes.
    A deep large sauce pan pumpkin stew with tortellini and a spoon, a napkin and a plate with herbs and spices.

    Your fantastic one-pan pumpkin stew is ready. Serve immediately with more parmesan on the table. It makes great leftovers; add a bit of broth or cream to the pan and warm up slowly on the stove.

    A bowl with pumpkin stew with tortellini and a spoon, half view of a pan with stew and a plate with herbs and spices.

    More stews

    • Stifado - Greek Red Wine Beef Stew
    • Greek Lamb Stew Avgolemono
    • Old Fashioned Beef Stew With Eggplant
    • Pork Stew With Chickpeas

    You may also like

    • Fried Egg Sandwich
    • Amazing Tomato Confit With Herbs
    • Tomato Chicken Tortellini Soup
    • Pesto Salmon Recipe
    A bowl with pumpkin stew with tortellini and a spoon, partial view of a pan with stew and a plate with herbs and spices.

    Quick Pumpkin Stew with Tortellini

    by Jenny | The Greek Foodie
    This gorgeous, pumpkin stew is fragrant and flavorful with savory guanciale, sweet Medjool dates, and tortellini pasta. It’s a unique stew in a one-pot meal, ready in thirty minutes.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Greek, International, Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 6
    Calories 879 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 7 oz guanciale cubed
    • 1 onion roughly chopped
    • 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
    • 14 oz pumpkin diced and steamed
    • 2½ cups chicken stock 500 ml
    • 4 cup Medjool dates roughly chopped
    • 10 chestnuts cooked, quartered
    • 10 oz tortellini pasta filled with prosciutto or your favorite filling
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated

    Spices and herbs

    • 2 rosemary sprigs just the leaves
    • 2 fresh sage sprigs just the leaves roughly chopped
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

    Instructions
     

    • Chop the guanciale into bite-size pieces. Next, chop the onion and garlic, and herbs. Finally, cut the chestnuts into four parts and chop roughly the Medjool dates.
    • Place a medium-large pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the guanciale and cook until the edges have caramelized.
    • Add the onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
    • Add the cubed pumpkin with the chopped herbs.
    • Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes; pour in the stock. Add the chopped chestnuts and dates, stir and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
    • Follow with the heavy cream and parmesan, and tortellini. Cook in high medium heat until the tortellini is fully cooked, about five minutes.
    • Serve in bowls with more grated parmesan.

    Notes

    Substitutions
      • Pumpkin. Great substitutes are butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
      • Guanciale. You can use pancetta or thick bacon.
      • Broth. Chicken, vegetable, it is all good.
      • Medjool dates.  Good substitutes are dried figs, prunes, apricots, and raisins.
      • Chestnuts. Go for hazelnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts.
      • Fresh tortellini pasta. You can use dry tortellini. Add them to the pot 15 minutes after you start cooking. Watch the liquid; you might need to add a bit more water or broth. Most brands are ready in 10-12 minutes. Feel free to use your favorite filling.
     
    Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only estimated and can vary based on the products used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 879kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 23gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 907mgPotassium: 1150mgFiber: 9gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 6208IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 369mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
    Quick Pumpkin Stew with TortelliniQuick Pumpkin Stew with Tortellini
    Share
    Pin
    Share
    Email
    Tweet
    Yum
    WhatsApp
    0 Shares
    « Tomato Chicken Tortellini Soup
    Amazing Tomato Confit With Herbs »

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there!

    I am Jenny, a Greek expat living in the greater New York City area. I like to say I am a beauty art director turned foodie, aka the Greek foodie. Born and raised in Greece, my fondness for good food goes hand in hand with my heritage. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook delicious food to enjoy with family and friends.... Find out more about me here…

    EAT LIKE A GREEK!

    A black bowl with tomato confit, herbs and a spoon.

    Amazing Tomato Confit With Herbs

    A glass bowl with kourabides, Greek Christmas butter cookies, and Christmas lights at the back.

    Kourabiedes - Greek Christmas Butter Cookies

    A plate with Greek green beans with potatoes in tomato sauce, some fresh basil. On the table, a napkin, utensils and a piece of bread.

    Greek Green Beans In Tomato Sauce

    A small plate with olive oil and herbs, a gold spoon on a butcher block surrounded by pieces of bread.

    Bread Dipping Oil

    A white plate with tomato garlic pasta and herbs with a fork and spoon.

    Tomato Garlic Pasta

    Comfort Food

    Feta Cheese Puff Pastries With Leeks And Dill

    Vegetarian Moussaka With Plant Based Beef

    A plate with soutzoukakia-cumin meatballs.

    Cumin Meatballs In Red Sauce - Greek Soutzoukakia

    Low Carb Turkey Meatballs & Gravy

    A plate with spaghetti and greek tomato basil sauce

    Greek Spaghetti Sauce With Tomatoes & Basil

    Three pizza boats, peinirli on a platter.

    Easy Peinirli - Greek Pizza Boats

    Footer

    © 2023 · The Greek Foodie · All Rights Reserved