pasta with pumpkin-sage cream sauce

one of my favorite things about fall is the awesome autumn flavors that come out of hibernation — apples, pears, cranberries, caramel, + of course, pumpkin! this past weekend, my husband + i picked our own pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch, which inspired me to try making a savory pumpkin pasta for the first time. a quick look at our herb garden revealed tons + tons of sage, begging to be used, so i decide to cook up an pumpkin-sage cream sauce for pasta.

+ the result? the pumpkin-sage cream sauce is incredibly delicious — flavorful, rich + decadent. the pumpkin flavor is present without being overpowering, while the sage adds a lovely herby note. it paired wonderfully with cheese tortellini for a vegetarian-friendly meal, although for meat-lovers, it would also be perfect with a sausage-filled tortellini or ravioli. i’ll definitely be making this awesome pasta dish again next time i’m craving a seasonal fall comfort food meal.

for visual proof that i went to a pumpkin patch, see below. see? amy. + pumpkins!

pumpkin-sage cream sauce

makes 1 1/4 cups sauce, adapted from country living

ingredients

1 cup heavy cream (* or half+half, see note below)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
16 fresh sage leaves, sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

*note: in the original recipe, reviewers said they successfully used half+half instead of heavy cream, which is about 1/3 of the fat of heavy cream. while i used heavy cream, i’ll try half+half next time + report back on how it turns out. or let me know how it is if you try it with half+half!

directions

combine the cream, pumpkin puree, parmesan, sage, salt, + pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. simmer the mixture until slightly thickened, 10 – 12 minutes. remove from heat + stir in butter. toss with cooked pasta + serve immediately.

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