January 27: Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream
2 to 3 teaspoons dried crushed sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
   A pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pound penne or cellantani pasta
   Grated Parmesan Cheese to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (12 chives)
   Crusty bread

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon.

Move the sausage to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions to the other side of the pan. Cook until the mushrooms brown, then season with salt and pepper.

Combine the sausage and vegetables and deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute.

Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it'll be thick.

Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Top with the cheese and chives and serve with the crusty bread.

6 SERVINGS

I halved this recipe today since it is a master recipe, and a very similar one is coming up on Saturday.  I didn't want so much leftover pumpkin pasta. It's pretty good when it's fresh, but the leftovers tend to get pretty dry. I changed the amount of servings it makes from 4 to 6. We fed the 4 of us with 1/2 the recipe, and we have at least 1 serving left over. I will use the other half of the can of pumpkin for the next one. I made it pretty much the same as how it's supposed to be made. I used dried sage instead of fresh, dried nutmeg instead of freshly ground, and I added bread to the ingredient list. This is a great recipe to use up any leftover cans of pumpkin you have left from the holidays. I really like the way the sausage compliments the sweet pumpkin flavors and spices.