Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Stew named this pasta "Pumpkin Gratitude Pasta," but so you would know what it is, I named it otherwise. ;)
I got this recipe from my friend Holly's friend Lindsey (confusing enough?). We had a girls' night and Holly made a delicious butternut squash soup (I'm making it soon, so watch for the recipe). We exchanged recipes, and this recipe really intrigued me! In college, I was dubbed the pumpkin queen, because once fall rolled around, it was all about the pumpkin desserts!! I've never made a savory dish (besides soup) with pumpkin, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I'm so glad I did—it was delicious! The pumpkin makes the pasta so creamy, without adding fat like cheese would! There is also a hint of spicy sweetness, from cinnamon and cloves. I thought the spicy Italian sausage was perfect in this, I think any other sausage might make the pasta too sweet. And the broccoli added great texture! I'll definitely be making this again!!

[ Sorry, this picture doesn't look that appetizing, but trust me...it's good! ]


Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta
1 1/2 cups broccoli
1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage (I think I did a whole pound, turkey sausage as usual)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I don't have this so I just did a couple shakes of cinnamon and a shake of cloves)
1 1/4 cups half-and-half (I used a 12-oz can of evaporated milk)
1 heaping cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp brown sugar (I omitted this, it seemed too sweet)
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed and add broccoli 2–3 minutes before pasta is done.
Meanwhile, cook sausage on medium heat until browned. Drain fat. Stir in pumpkin pie spice. Cook one minute. Stir in half-and-half, pumpkin, sugar and salt. Cook one minute longer, stirring everything together.
Serve! Can top with parmesan cheese.


The pumpkin queen lives on! ;)

Comments

Maggie said…
I made this last night because I had all the ingredients and had some fresh pumpkin that needed to get used.

I used frozen green beans and left over cabbage, used up some whole milk instead of half and half and ate it over rice instead of pasta.

The thick sweet sauce and spicy meat reminded me of a curry dish. It was really delicious.

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