This post is sponsored by Flora Springs, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Halloween is right around the corner and we personally have a family tradition of always cooking up something extra cozy and hearty to celebrate. Pasta is a go-to since it pairs so well with my favorite red wines to make the ultimate Halloween dinner. That’s why I partnered with Flora Springs, a winery in Napa Valley that has their very own collection of wines just for Halloween! They are considered a ‘Ghost Winery’ which is a term used to describe a winery that was built between 1860 and 1900 and fell into disrepair in the early 20th century due to the triple threat of the vine disease phylloxera, the Great Depression, and Prohibition. Flora Springs has delicious Halloween wine varieties including a 2018 Ghost Winery Malbec, Drink in Peace Merlot, and 2018 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc that all pair perfectly with this delicious Pumpkin Cacio e Pepe pasta dish that would be so great to serve up on Halloween this year!

Have you ever had cacio e pepe? It’s actually a pretty simple pasta dish made with lots of parmesan cheese and cracked pepper and it’s absolutely delicious. I decided to make this classic recipe a little more seasonally festive and added some pumpkin to the mix! The pumpkin makes for an extra creamy and festive orange sauce that could not be a better match with these Halloween Flora Springs wines! Its the perfect dish to make if you are entertaining or just enjoying a Halloween dinner at home with your family!

I absolutely fell in love with each one of the Flora Springs Halloween wine varieties. The Malbec that has notes of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry flavors and persistent notes of vanilla bean, sassafras and cocoa powder. It is truly so lovely with each sip, while the 2018 Cabernet Franc is also delicious with a super spooky label and notes of of blackberry, fig and plum set against a background of spicy sassafras, cardamom, vanilla and toast. Their Drink in Peace Merlot comes in a fun bottle complete with an etched glow in the dark skeleton (so fun) and has notes of rich black cherry fruit, spicy oak, toasty vanilla and cedary smoke. All three wines are out of this world and I highly recommend grabbing one or all three to host the ultimate Halloween dinner.

This pumpkin cacio e pepe recipe is easy to make, tastes amazing, and is definitely a dish that you will want to make over and over again all season long. You can use any shape of pasta that you prefer here, and if you have never used pumpkin in a savory dish, I highly recommend it! I can’t wait for you to make this recipe on Halloween and also to try out Flora Springs wines for yourself! You are going to love them both!

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. Ziti Pasta (or pasta shape of choice)

• 2 Finely Minced Garlic Cloves

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

• 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

• 1 Cup Pasta Water (reserved water from boiling pasta)

• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese + more for garnish

• 1 Tsp. Salt

• 1 Tbsp. Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

• Boil pasta until al dente, and then reserve the required pasta water before draining the pasta. (I like to reserve more than I need just in case I want to thin out my sauce a little more.)

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and garlic and sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant, about two minutes.

• Add in pumpkin puree and stir to combine and season with 1/2 of the salt and 1/2 of the pepper.

• Thin the sauce out with 1/2 of the pasta water and whisk until smooth.

• Add in drained pasta along with the rest of the pasta water, parmesan cheese, and remaining salt and pepper.

• Stir to combine until pasta is completely coated with sauce.

• Add more parmesan cheese and another crack of pepper before serving.

How good does this look? Festive Flora Springs Halloween wines and creamy pumpkin pasta is a winning combination that you are going to enjoy this season.