Pasta with Sausage and Butternut Squash

Serves 4

Another recipe from the collection down…about 800,000 to go. Only slight exaggeration. Once again I did quite a lot of adapting with this one, primarily for the (to me) hilarious reason that the grocery stores don’t carry canned pumpkin until just before Thanksgiving (I guess I should mention that the recipe was originally Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta). Not only do they not carry it now—they can’t! Because of the great pumpkin blight of 2009! Global warming be damned, you ruined the pumpkin crop and now I have to improvise. Although, as my MIL pointed out, the grocery stores have been selling pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread all year. So either they have access to some top secret supply or, “They’ve been cheating.” Long story short, I used roasted pureed butternut squash in this recipe, to no real detriment. I think pumpkin is a little more pungent and earthy, while the squash is a little sweeter, but in the end it’s just a tasty bowl of pasta.

2 cups uncooked multigrain bow tie pasta (we used angel hair)

1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (whoops, didn’t have those either—we added green pepper instead)

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned pumpkin (or butternut squash)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the sausage, mushrooms, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, wine, sage, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drain pasta; add to the skillet and heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and parsley.