This is a rich sauce, perfect on a chilly evening with some fresh Trenchers pasta.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound of Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
salt and red chili flakes to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 t cider vinegar
1¼ cups pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 box pasta
grated gouda, to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish
In a large skillet pour one tablespoon of olive oil and warm over medium high heat for a minute or so. Remove the sausage from its casing and add to the hot oil.
Using the back of a spoon break of the sausage as it cooks until fully browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside. Keep one tablespoon of the fat in the pan and discard the rest.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and let it warm.
Add the onion, garlic and chopped sage, season generously and cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring well until the onion and garlic begin to brown.
Add the reserved sausage and cook for two more minutes, stirring well. Add the vinegar and scrape up the really flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the pumpkin puree and cook for another minute or two, stirring well.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer for about 30 minutes. You're looking for a nice thick & saucy consistency.
Cook the pasta, then drain and return to the cooking pot.
Pour the pumpkin sauce over the pasta and stir for two or three minutes.
Test for seasoning, then garnish each bowl with optional cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds.
