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Pasta with Pumpkin & Sausage

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Submitted by happyzhangbo

Pasta with pumpkin and Italian sausage in a creamy sage-spiked sauce. A rich, autumn-leaning weeknight dinner that treats canned pumpkin like the flavor workhorse it is.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

14 min

READY

26 min

This is pumpkin’s case for being taken seriously at dinner, not just dessert. Browned sweet Italian sausage builds the base, then garlic, onion, bay leaf, and fresh sage get sweated down before white wine goes in to deglaze. Chicken stock and canned pumpkin thicken into a velvety sauce that a splash of cream brings together.

The cinnamon and nutmeg might sound dessert-forward on paper, but the amounts stay small enough to read as savory warmth. They’re the signature that makes this dish taste bigger than its parts.

Toss the al dente penne with the sauce over low heat for a full minute. That final minute is when the pasta soaks up the pumpkin and the sauce binds to the noodles instead of pooling.

Chef Tips

  • Use pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it’ll throw the whole dish off.
  • Reduce the wine by half before adding liquid; raw wine tastes harsh and thin.
  • Don’t skip the cinnamon-nutmeg combo. Even ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon is what makes the pumpkin taste like pumpkin here.
  • Chiffonade the sage (stack, roll, slice) so it distributes without any chewy stems.

Variations

  • Swap pumpkin for butternut squash puree or roasted mashed sweet potato.
  • Use hot Italian sausage instead of sweet for more heat.
  • Stir in a handful of baby spinach or kale at the end so it wilts into the sauce.

Ingredients

1 15
TABLESPOON ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 15
TABLESPOON ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 453.6
POUND G SAUSAGE, BULK
sweet Italian
4 4
CLOVES CLOVES GARLIC
cracked and chopped
1 1
MEDIUM MEDIUM ONION
finely chopped
1 1
EACH BAY LEAF
fresh or dried *
6 6
EACH SAGE LEAVES
sprigs, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons *
1 237
CUP ML WHITE WINE
dry *
1 237
CUP ML CHICKEN BROTH
canned or paper container
1 237
½ 118
CUP ML HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
3 turns around the pan
0.6
TEASPOON ML CINNAMON
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML NUTMEG
ground, ground or freshly grated
1
X KOSHER SALT
to taste *
1
X BLACK PEPPER
to taste *
1 453.6
POUND G PASTA, PENNE
cooked to al dente *
1
X ROMANO CHEESE
for grating, to taste *
1
X WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
or pumpernickel, as an accompaniment , to taste *

Directions

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion, as an accompaniment, recipe follows

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.

Sauté 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

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 the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in.

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.

Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 309g (10.9 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 571 76% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 48g 75%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 1001mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Sugars g
Protein 41g
Vitamin A 221% Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 7% Iron 15%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber
 
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