Description
Pumpkin Sausage Pasta is the perfect pasta dinner recipe for fall! Sweet Italian sausage and noodles are mixed in with a cheesy, creamy pumpkin sauce that is the definition of comforting!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add in the Italian sausage and cook until no pink remains. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Season the meat mixture with the sage, salt, pepper, red pepper, and nutmeg.
- Add in the chicken stock, wine, pumpkin, and cream and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.
- Stir the spinach into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, until wilted. Add in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and stir to combine.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve warm with more cheese if desired.
Notes
- Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin? Sure! It’s a bit of extra work because you’ll have to boil and mash the pumpkin, but if you’ve got the time, go for it.
- Sausage Substitutions: You can use Italian sausage, other kinds of ground sausage, ground turkey, etc. Pick your favorite! If you want to make this a vegetarian meal and omit the sausage entirely, that works too.
- Add in More Vegetables: I generally just leave it at spinach, but you could throw in chopped zucchini, peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.
- Can I Make this Ahead? Definitely. I find that this meal turns out best when you refrigerate the sauce/meat mixture and the pasta separately, and then combine them when you’re ready to eat the dinner.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
