Creamy Pumpkin Penne With Sage And Toasted Pecans Recipes

Steps:

• To make the Pumpkin Cream Sauce: In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté onions until soft. Add garlic and let cook a few more minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree the onion mixture, pumpkin, tomato paste, milk, nutmeg, and cayenne until smooth.
• Pour into a pot and heat. Add generous amounts of salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan until melted.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
• To assemble the pasta: Toss hot pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce (there might be extra sauce), toasted pecans and fresh sage. Dig in!

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.
• In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. Add rosemary and fry, stirring, until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rosemaryto a paper towel, leaving oil in pot.
• Carefully (oil is hot and will spatter) add pumpkin puree, garlic, half-and-half, Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. Season generously with salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with fried rosemary and, if desired, more red-pepper flakes.