On Sunday nights, I like to cook something indulgent. I don’t usually allow myself to eat much pasta, but when the air gets chilly I want a meal that makes me feel warm and fuzzy {this always seems to be pasta}. I originally saw this recipe on Lara’s blog last year but lightened it up a bit by making some small adjustments, like substituting turkey sausage and replacing heavy cream with 2% milk. The pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg is the perfect fall seasoning that makes this dish feel extra special – exactly what you want on a cold Sunday night!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian turkey sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into slivers
1 cup dry white wine {I used a cheap chardonnay}
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound fusilli pasta, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Directions:

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.

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 milk. 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.

Total time: 25 minutes     Servings: 4

Original recipe found here.