Pumpkin & Sausage Penne

Happy Daylight Savings Time! Hope you all enjoyed that extra hour of sleep last night! Today’s recipe is a comforting pasta dish that my SUPER picky 3 year old actually ate! I am still in shock!

I love my son like crazy, but I cringe at every meal because he just sticks his nose up to my food before he ever tastes it. Each dinner is a battle! I make him whatever he wants for breakfast & lunch, & I try telling him that, “Mommy is a professionally trained chef, & she will never give you something yucky” but that little booger never believes me. So when he took a big bite of the penne & didn’t spit it out, it was a miracle! That must mean this dish is worth making, right?

I loved how the sage & cinnamon complemented the pumpkin flavors of the dish. It was a great alternative to the regular spaghetti & tomato sauce. And anything with sausage has my name written all over it! If you have any canned pumpkin leftover from baking all those pumpkin desserts, give this savory dish a try. I think you will be as impressed as I was.

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Pumpkin & Sausage Penne

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Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 2-3 Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 large onion, small diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup chicken broth (or white wine if you have it)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, & cinnamon
• Dash ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tsp. drippings.
3. Cook & stir onion & garlic in oil & reserved drippings over medium-high heat until tender. Add ⅔ cup of broth or white wine & bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half.
4. Stir in 1½ cups broth, & add the pumpkin, sage, salt, pepper, cinnamon, & nutmeg; cook 1 minute longer. Add the cream & sausage; heat through. Remove bay leaf. Drain pasta & add to skillet. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. (*If sauce seems thin, allow to rest for a few minutes. It will thicken the longer it sits.)

Recipe slightly altered from Taste of Home