Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

Let me tell you about how productive I was yesterday.

I got so much done yesterday morning and then both kids that were home fell asleep around 11. Clearly, I couldn’t waste such a peaceful time on things like laundry or scrubbing the toilets. Especially when my DVR was calling my name. So I turned on Madam Secretary (obsessed) and starting searching for a neon geometric cardigan.

WHICH NO ONE HAS RIGHT NOW!

So my children finally wake up and I realize I’ve spent 4 hours searching for a cardigan. I also managed to somehow watch 4 episodes of Revenge.

And then since I’d spent most the day sitting around watching Netflix, I figured I might as well sit around some more and swatch all my nail polish onto fake nails. Because that’s what normal adults do on Mondays.

I did cry on the phone with my internet provider for about an hour. That’s something, right? You guys, I can’t handle the slow internet. I called them Sunday night and the guy reset a bunch of things and then concluded that it was my Macbook causing the issue. WHICH IT ISN’T. So I cried. Because I was so frustrated.

They’re sending a guy out today. I’m going to try not to cry.

Anyway, more pumpkin. Pumpkin all day, every day.

I posted this recipe originally back in 2008. I think that was probably the first year I was really into pumpkin. Probably because that’s the first year I was really into cooking. But we absolutely loved it then. My husband is kind of a pumpkin hater but he still talks about this pasta. And he was totally jealous when I said I was making it a few days ago.

It’s so, so, so good. The pumpkin and the sausage and the sage just work so well together. I’ve got leftovers in my fridge that are currently calling my name!

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Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 4 cloves garlic cracked and chopped
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf fresh or dried
• 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne cooked to al dente
• Parmesan for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
2. Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
3. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.