Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Italian Sausage
Total Time
45 mins
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Rating
4.5 out of 5 stars
(2)
Ingredients
4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound uncooked pasta (I used mezze rigatoni)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild or hot
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons finely-chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups roughly-chopped fresh kale, tough stems removed
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- freshly-grated Parmesan, for serving
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Preparation
Step 1
Prep the pasta water. Bring a large stockpot full of generously-salted water to a boil.
Step 2
Cook the sausage. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and shallot and cook, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until the sausage is lightly browned. Add the garlic, sage and crushed red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the hot starchy pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
Step 4
Finish the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, carefully pour in the wine and use the wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the pumpkin purée, heavy cream, kale and toss to combine. Turn off the heat.
Step 5
Toss. Once the pasta and sauce are both ready to go, combine them in the large stockpot along with ¾ cup of the hot starchy pasta water and toss to combine. Add in ¼ cup of extra starchy water at a time (if needed) until the sauce reaches a smooth and glossy consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Step 6
Serve. Serve warm, garnished with lots of freshly-grated Parmesan and black pepper.
Step 7
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Chef's notes
Add veggies:
Add in some additional sautéed or roasted veggies, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms or zucchini.
Add nuts or seeds:
Sprinkle some chopped toasted nuts or seeds on top as a garnish, such as pecans, pepitas, pine nuts or walnuts.
Use a different protein:
Use a different protein in place of the Italian sausage, such as chicken or shrimp.
Use different herbs:
Use different herbs in place of (or along with) the sage, such as rosemary or basil.
Make it gluten-free or vegetarian:
Use your favorite GF pasta to make gluten-free pumpkin pasta. Use plant-based Italian sausage to make vegetarian pumpkin pasta.
