Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Thank you to momadvice.com via craftzine.com for introducing me to this Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe! The recipe calls for sausage but it can easily be omitted for a vegetarian dish.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound package of Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (removed from its casing)
• 2/3 cup to 2 cups pumpkin puree (depending on your personal taste)
• 1 can chicken broth
• ¼ cup half & half
• ½ cup sour cream (low-fat or fat free)
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• ¼ cup Romano Cheese, shredded
• 1 pound penne or rotini pasta

In a large skillet sauté the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking the meat up with your spoon as you cook it. Remove turkey sausage and garlic from the skillet. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and deglaze the pan using a wire whisk, to bring up all of the flavors stuck to the pan. Whisk in the half and half, sour cream, pumpkin, and seasonings. Simmer for ten minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and stir into the pumpkin mixture along with the turkey sausage, simmering for another three minutes or until the sauce thickens and hugs the pasta. Stir in parsley and garnish with Romano and more parsley.

Side Note- If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little addition of chicken broth until you get it to the right consistency.