Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Pumpkin makes a great ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes.  I love using it for this pasta sauce - the pumpkin puree is smooth and creamy, and each bite has a hint of a savory pumpkin pie.  Delicious!

Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried sage or 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound mostaciolli (or other pasta of your choice)

Directions:

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and brown the ground turkey.  Add the onion and bell pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add oregano, sage, and chicken stock.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add white wine vinegar and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble.

Stir in the evaporated milk. Season the sauce with the pumpkin pie spice, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute.

Garnish the pasta with a sprig of oregano and serve with whole grain bread.

This is a beautiful and quick dinner - with lots of vegetables too!  {I made a vegetarian version - I eliminated the meat from the sauce and added squash that I had sauteed in butter at the end.  Also very good!}

Have you ever used pumpkin for a savory dish?

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