Some nights, reaching into the freezer for a dinner entree seems like the only viable option. I come home tired after a day of work, and all I want to do is dump a bag of frozen pasta into a pot of boiling water, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and leave the bowl in the sink until the next morning…when presumably, I have enough energy to wash it.

But tonight, I felt like celebrating. I can hardly believe it, but in less than a month, I’ll be moving to Washington, D.C.! I accepted an editing job, and for the first time, I’ll be living and working on the East Coast.

I’m excited to move and explore a new city–but at the same time, I know I’ll miss Chicago. I have a friend who is moving back to the East Coast soon, and she always tells me that she’ll miss Chicago because it’s where she “became a person.” I feel the same way; I learned so much about myself here, and started on my path toward becoming a better writer, journalist, and person. But I also know that it’s time to take the next step, and challenge myself personally and professionally. I can’t wait to see what DC has to offer.

For dinner tonight, I decided to make a recipe that I’ve been meaning to try for a while: Pumpkin Agnolotti. Even though the recipe seems labor intensive, it’s actually pretty straightforward: I mixed together canned pumpkin with Parmesan cheese, sugar, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Then, I brushed the edges of wonton wrappers with a lightly beaten egg. I placed a little dollop of pumpkin mixture in the middle of each wrapper, and folded over the edges so it made a packet. The raviolis only took a few minutes to cook, and I served the pasta with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese.

The best part about the agnolotti was the lemon zest: After I boiled the pasta, the cheese and pumpkin mixture melded together, and the citrusy lemon balanced out the sweet and salty flavors. I’m not sure how many people the recipe was intended for– but in my case, it was serving size: one.

Pumpkin Agnolotti (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Directions:

Mash canned pumpkin, Parmesan, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange wonton wrappers on a work surface. Brush edges with lightly beaten egg. Place 1 tsp. filling on bottom half; fold top half over, gently pressing edges to seal. Boil ravioli in salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes.

Serve with grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.