Meatless on Mondays: Pumpkin Gnocchi With Cranberry Walnut Pesto

Inspired by Meatless Monday, a campaign encouraging people to cut back on their meat consumption one day a week, TakePart's "Meatless on Mondays" will give you every reason you need to skip the steak. By going vegetarian one day a week, you reduce your environmental impact, expand your palate, and improve your health. Plus, going meatless is just plain kind to animals.

"Pumpkin is a bonafide super food," says Shawna of Would Rather Gather.

"High in fibre, vitamins C and E, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and carotenoids, pumpkin flesh helps fight heart disease, boost the body’s immune system, helps produce collagen, is rich in antioxidants, helps lower the risk of  a variety of cancers, cataracts, and blindness, has anti-inflammatory properties and is a boon for reproductive health. It’s so amazing it probably would have been shorter to say what it doesn’t do."

Need any other reasons to eat the most well-known of the gourd family? Oh yeah: it tastes great.

Who needs meat with an entree like this? (Photo: Shawna Newberry)

In this recipe, tofu, walnuts, nutritional yeast and dried cranberries round out the all-star cast of ingredients. "Each are nutritional heavyweights in their own right, making this dish obscenely healthy," Shawna says—as if we need more convincing. Making the leap from sweet pumpkin treats to a savory dinner dish is an adventure every cook should try, and we suggest you start with this one. Go here for the full recipe.

Don&39;t wait until Halloween for pumpkin love. (Photo Shawna Newberry)

Roll 'em out, fry 'em up...

What can&39;t pumpkin do? (Photo: Shawna Newberry)

Grind that pesto, and you'll be on your way to a meal that tickles your tastebuds while satisfying your nutritional needs.

Just looking at this food will reduce your medical expenses. (Photo: Shawna Newberry)

See all Meatless on Mondays recipes.

This recipe was originally posted on Would Rather Gather, a blog dedicated to vegan recipes sexy enough to convert carnivores. Find the full recipe here.