SOMETHING SIMPLE: Spicy Sausage Pumpkin Pasta
Celebrate the flavors of fall with this comforting one-pot dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. hot (or mild) Italian sausage
- ¾ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1 ¼ tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
- 3 tbs. chopped fresh sage
- 1 lb. orecchiette or other short pasta
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 oz. grated Parmesan, plus more to garnish
Directions
STEP 1
Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
STEP 2
Cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about eight to 10 minutes.
STEP 3
Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
STEP 4
Add the shallots to the pot with a splash of water to deglaze the brown bits. Turn the heat to medium-low, add ½ teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots become soft and translucent, about five to seven minutes.
STEP 5
Add the pumpkin, sage, remaining water, and remaining salt to the pot, and stir to incorporate.
STEP 6
Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain an active simmer.
STEP 7
Add the pasta and cover the pot.
STEP 8
Allow to cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is just short of al dente, removing the lid to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking.
STEP 9
Add the sausage and spinach and cook for one to two minutes more.
STEP 10
Remove the pot from the heat and add the nutmeg, then stir in the Parmesan a bit at a time until incorporated.
STEP 11
Add more salt to taste and serve with extra Parmesan for garnish.
Pick Your Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin is packed with a variety of health-supporting vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and it also adds a silky richness to this pasta sauce. Be sure to choose a brand that tastes good to you, ideally with few added ingredients.
Photography: Terry Brennan; Food Styling: Betsy Nelson
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Kaelyn Riley is Experience Life’s editorial director of food and nutrition.
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This Post Has 8 Comments
That sounds like a terrific recipe to me, I have used a very similar recipe in the past using spaghetti sauce instead of canned pumpkin! I’ll have to give this a try sometime.
I made this recipe and it is absolutely delicious! Highly recommend!!
Looks great. Any suggested adjustments using a pressure cooker instead of a Dutch oven? We’re remodeling our kitchen and have limited appliance/cookware options over the next 6 weeks.
This sounds perfect for right now as the nights are getting colder. Gonna try it next weekend when I have some extra time to put it together.
Very good! Came together quickly and easily. I did use maybe 15% less noodles / water. Didn’t realize how spicy sausage would be, but it’s still good. Perfect fall recipe!
Made it Vegetarian by omitting the sausage, using 3T olive oil for the fat to sauté shallots, and adding in my “Italian sausage” dried spices with the pumpkin. Healthier and very tasty
3/4 t ground fennel seeds (can use whole if you like) 1/4 t black pepper
1 t oregano 1/2 t red wine vinegar
1 t basil Red chili pepper flakes to taste for spice level
3/4 t parsley 3/4 t finely chopped rosemary (optional)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
You can also use 2T Mixed Italian spice but it is not as good
I made this tonight and it is delicious! I used fresh spinach, mini penne, three cups of veggie broth and three cups of water but otherwise followed the recipe as written. The dish is so velvety and tasty. We are going to put this on rotation. Thank you for this great recipe!
This was a fun, easy seasonal recipe that got us in the mood for fall. I subbed plant-based sausages for half of the spicy sausage and used plant-based Parmesan cheese with great results. I served it with a dairy-free Caesar salad and red sangria. Everyone really enjoyed it, and no one guessed that the pasta sauce was pumpkin! Thank you for a healthy appealing recipe!