Pumpkin & Sausage Penne

Name: Pumpkin & Sausage Penne
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup uncooked penne pasta; 2 Italian sausage links, casings removed; 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth; 1 bay leaf; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1/3 cup canned pumpkin; 3 teaspoons minced fresh sage, divided; 1/8 teaspoon each salt, pepper and ground cinnamon; Dash ground nutmeg; 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream; 2 tablespoons shredded Romano cheese

I once made this dish for my Italian father-in-law, who swears he'll eat pasta only with red sauce. He loved it! — Karen Cambiotti, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked penne pasta
2 Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
3 teaspoons minced fresh sage, divided
1/8 teaspoon each salt, pepper and ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons shredded Romano cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. 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 drippings, reserving 1 teaspoon.
Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil and reserved drippings over medium-high heat until tender. Add wine and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, 1-1/2 teaspoons sage and remaining seasonings; cook 1 minute longer. Add the cream and sausage; heat through. Remove bay leaf.
Drain pasta; transfer to a large bowl. Add sausage mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining sage.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups: 490 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated fat), 61mg cholesterol, 950mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 21g protein.

Originally published as Pumpkin Sage Penne in Cooking for 2 Winter 2009

Reviews

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Beckiboo

Oct 3, 2017

Absolutely one of our favorite "Kick Off Fall" dishes! I've made this for a few years now and have tried just about every kind of sausage with it. We like regular brats (casings removed) or a mild breakfast sausage we buy at a farm best. I don't add any extra sage/spices or the cream to mine. This is a perfectly balanced, delicious and easy dish to make!
angelasandoval

Oct 29, 2015

Wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this one but it was super-delicious! The whole family loved it! I did use the wine but didn't add the cinnamon and nutmeg because I'm not a huge fan of those flavors in savory dishes (and when I tasted it, I didn't think it could be improved upon). And I used parmigiano reggiano instead of Romano because it was what I already had on hand.
he-rowe

Aug 4, 2014

Wonderful! This was quick and easy to make. The pumpkin makes the dish different, but the Romano MAKES the dish. I am mildly allergic to milk, but was able to use Silk Soy Creamer as a substitute. I had no sub for the cheese, however so I used it sparingly on my portion. I used stock instead of broth, ground Italian sausage and unoaked chardonnay. Even my 2-1/2 year old loved it!
Rellierae

Jan 19, 2013

This is different. I doubled the recipe, used Italian chicken sausage and evaporated milk instead of cream. I liked it a lot.
catgrl_22

Dec 13, 2012

I double this recipie just to have leftovers!
bschuck

Nov 14, 2012

Very good! I have been in the mood trying new recipes lately. This was a nice change from the usual. I served it with steamed asparagus.
netta68

Nov 12, 2012

sending this recipe to my family to make too! We didnt use the sage due to young children eating it as well. YUM!
Smvm

Oct 26, 2012

Yuck! This was very bad. We are not picky eaters, but no one liked it.
cricket1340

Oct 24, 2012

Super fast and different recipe to make after work. I reduced the chicen broth to 1/2 cup, upped the wine to 1/2 cup for a sweeter pasta for my tastes, dried sage and used what apple turkey sausage I had on hand. I didn't have any penne so I used what I had, fusilli. Definitely will make agaiin.
ajbdndl

Oct 23, 2012

Doubled this recipe. It's a unique pasta dish & great alternative to pasta with tomato sauce. My picky 3 year old actually ate this. My sauce turned out a little thin, but thickened as it rested. I liked the sage/cinnamon/nutmeg combination with the pumpkin. I will most likely make this again, but it will probably just be a seasonal meal.