Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Sage Sausage

A hearty fall pasta bake with savory sage sausage, pumpkin, Parmesan and warm spices. White wine and vegetable stock balance the richness of the pumpkin and sausage, while fresh sage adds an earthy flavor.



Servings: About 6
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35–45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ziti or rigatoni, cooked al dente
  • 1 pound sage sausage, or sweet Italian sausage
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh sage and parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into pieces, until browned and no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the chopped sage, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the white wine and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by about half.
  6. Add the vegetable stock, then stir in the pumpkin purée until completely incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
  7. Return the sausage to the skillet and stir to combine. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
  8. Transfer the sausage and pumpkin sauce to a large bowl with the cooked pasta. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
  9. Transfer the mixture back to the cast-iron skillet or into a baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top.
  10. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until the pasta is hot and bubbling.
  11. Garnish with fresh sage and parsley before serving. Fried sage leaves also make an excellent garnish.

Tip: Cook the pasta just to al dente—or even a minute shy—since it will continue cooking while the casserole bakes. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.