Pumpkin Pasta with Italian Sausage
This dairy free pumpkin pasta recipe features bits of savory Italian sausage and tender al dente rigatoni tossed with a creamy, flavorful pumpkin sauce with baby spinach leaves and fresh sage.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian/American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 16-ounce package rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 5 – 8 ounces fresh spinach leaves
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions for al dente – reserving about 1 cup of pasta water for sauce before draining.
- In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it into pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shallots, garlic and crushed red pepper to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add pumpkin puree and salt & pepper. Then, slowly stir in pasta water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until sauce has reached desired consistency.
- Add spinach and sage to pan and allow it to wilt, stirring occasionally. If needed, reduce heat until pasta is ready.
- Drain pasta and toss with sauce, adding extra pasta water if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 498.5 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.7 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 15.2 g
- Cholesterol: 34.6 mg
