Countdown to Thanksgiving: Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Don't be afraid of this recipe. It is NOT pasta with a sickly sweet pumpkin pie sauce. It's a deliciously rich pasta dish with the taste of creamy winter squash with the salty tang of Parmesan cheese. I made it with whole wheat pasta...which kicked up both the richness and healthy factors. It certainly can hold its own alongside your roast turkey, but was also delicious with a simply baked chicken.


Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
From Everyday with Rachael Ray.
Serves eight as a side dish.


1 pound penne pasta (I used whole wheat and loved it.)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half and it was wonderful. You can probably make it even healthier and just use milk,)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.


In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot along with the reserved pasta cooking water and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt and pepper.


Top the pasta with the parsley and more parmesan.