Pasta With Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
- Course: Main Course
- Features: Fast, Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Meatless
Summary:
When life hands you canned pumpkin on sale, make dinner with it as well as Thanksgiving dessert. The flavors here -- pumpkin, dairy, sage, a touch of Parmesan cheese -- are what you might find in pumpkin-filled ravioli. But the effect is lighter; the squash becomes a subtle, can't-quite-place-it ingredient in this pale orange sauce.
We replaced the original recipe's cream with low-fat milk, and the sauce remained rich tasting. Feel free to toss some toasted, chopped walnuts on top.
Serve with steamed broccoli.
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 to 10 ounces multigrain angel-hair pasta, such as Barilla brand
- 1 medium shallot
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions (6 to 7 minutes).
Meanwhile, mince the shallot and garlic; finely chop the sage.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic; cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until they have softened. Add the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, milk and half of the sage. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste; keep warm on the lowest setting.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, then add 2 tablespoons of the cheese and mix well. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and the remaining sage.
Recipe Source:
Adapted from "The Ski House Cookbook," by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo (Clarkson Potter, 2007).
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Julia Ewan)
