I love some of the creamy pasta dishes that lend themselves to quick and delicious weeknight meals. However, I'm prone to finding ways to keep some of that creamy, velvety sauce without pouring a couple cups of heavy cream into my dinner. And, this time of the year, that means reaching for squash puree. In my house, I tend to make and freeze butternut, honeynut, and other winter squash purees so I'll have them on hand whenever I need them. However, a can of pumpkin puree — NOT pumpkin pie filling — will also work just fine.
I like working hot Italian sausage into a dish like this because I think the hot sausage pairs very well with the puree, which can be fairly sweet. If you aren't wanting to use the mini peppers, opt for something similar. You can use Asiago or Romano cheese instead of Parmesan. And if you don't have or want to use kale, add spinach but save it for the very end of the cooking process and just stir it long enough to fully wilt before serving the dish.
A light green salad or bit of bread to sop up the sauce can make lovely accompaniments to this dish, but you could also just pour a glass of the white wine you used in the sauce and call that dinner. I've done that much more than once and a busy season like this sometimes calls for a meal so delightfully simple. Enjoy!
Autumn in Tuscany Pasta
- 16 oz. dried radiatore pasta
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage - mild, sweet, or hot
- ½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 2 cups chopped mini sweet peppers
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine/chicken broth
- 2 cups pumpkin or squash puree - I used honeynut squash puree
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 cups tightly packed chopped kale
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. (You can reserve some of the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce later.)
Over medium heat, brown the sausage in a sauté pan. Break up any clumps and brown until slightly golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped peppers and sauté for about 1 minute. Toss in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the white wine or chicken broth and scrape off any stuck-on browned bits from the pan.
Add the pumpkin or squash pureee and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Add the Parmesan cheese in batches, stirring until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce. If needed, thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water - adding a tablespoon or two at a time.
Add the chopped kale and season with the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the cooked sausage and pasta to the pan and toss to fully coat in the sauce. Serve hot.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes