Happy Daylight Saving Time! I hope you enjoyed the extra hour of sleep. Today’s recipe is a warm, comforting pasta that even my extremely picky three-year-old ate — I’m still a little stunned.
Mealtimes with my son can be a struggle; he often refuses food before trying it. I usually let him choose breakfast and lunch, and I remind him that “Mommy is a professionally trained chef” and won’t serve anything bad, but he rarely believes me. So when he took a big bite of this penne and didn’t spit it out, I knew this recipe was a keeper.
The sage and cinnamon pair beautifully with the pumpkin, creating a savory alternative to classic tomato sauce. Sausage makes this dish even more satisfying. If you have leftover canned pumpkin from baking, this is a great way to use it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Pumpkin & Sausage Penne
Amber Brady
4
to 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 2–3 Italian sausage links, casings removed
- ½ large onion, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ⅔ cup chicken broth (or white wine)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ⅔ cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp ground sage
- ¼ tsp each salt, pepper, and cinnamon
- Dash ground nutmeg
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
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Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve about 1 tsp of the drippings in the skillet and discard the rest.
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In the same skillet, heat the olive oil and reserved drippings over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until tender. Add ⅔ cup broth (or white wine) and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
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Stir in 1½ cups chicken broth, then add the pumpkin, sage, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Remove the bay leaf. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan. If the sauce seems thin, let the dish rest for a few minutes—the sauce will thicken as it sits.
Notes
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