One-pan pumpkin pasta for one (one burner, 30 cm of counter)

The order: what comes out when

With one free surface you cannot take everything out at once. Each line is one round: out of the fridge or cupboard, onto the board, into the pan, and the counter is free again.

1. Out: pan, butter, sage → Pan: butter, sage leaves → Waits: crisp sage, lifted out into mug 1 (2 min)
2. Out: onion, garlic → Board: Dice the onion first and slide it into the pan; then slice the garlic on the same board. → Pan: diced onion, then garlic → Waits: the rest of the onion, wrapped, to the fridge (4 min)
3. Out: pumpkin purée, stock cube, salt, pepper, nutmeg → Pan: 120 g pumpkin, 350 ml stock, pinch of nutmeg → Waits: the rest of the pumpkin purée, covered, to the fridge (3 min)
4. Out: pasta → Pan: 100 g pasta (11 min)
5. Out: cheese, milk or cream → Board: Grate the cheese into mug 2 (rinsed). The board goes to the sink. → Waits: grated cheese in mug 2; crisp sage in mug 1 (while it simmers)
6. Out: nothing new → Pan: milk or cream, grated cheese (1 min)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter (or olive oil) · fridge
• 6 leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried sage, added with the onion) fresh sage leaves · fridge
• 1/4 onion or 1 shallot, finely diced onion or shallot · cupboard
• 1 clove, sliced garlic · cupboard
• 120 g (about 1/2 cup) pumpkin purée (canned, 100% pumpkin) · cupboard
• 350 ml (stock cube + hot water is fine) vegetable or chicken stock · cupboard
• 100 g short pasta (penne, rigatoni or shells) · cupboard
• to taste; 1 small pinch nutmeg salt, black pepper, nutmeg · cupboard
• 15 g, grated parmesan or other hard cheese · fridge
• 2 tbsp (optional) milk or cream · fridge

Gear

• One burner: One hob ring or a plug-in single induction burner. Induction needs a pan with a magnetic base.
• One deep pan with a lid: 24-26 cm (10 in) across and at least 5 cm deep.
• One cutting board: About 30 x 20 cm, the only work surface.
• One knife, one spoon, two mugs: One mug measures the stock; the other holds the crisp sage and then the cheese.