Ingredients:
- (15 oz) can Pumpkin Purée (425g)
- cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock (240 ml)
- /2 cup Heavy Cream (120 ml)
- Tbsp Unsalted Butter (30g)
- /2 medium Yellow Onion, finely diced
- cloves Garlic, minced
- large Fresh Sage Leaves, roughly chopped
- /2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (45g), plus extra for serving
- /4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- /4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch to 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- lb (450g) Pasta of choice
Instructions:
- Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté until translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the minced garlic and chopped fresh sage leaves to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, ensuring the garlic does not burn.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée, nutmeg, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the vegetable stock until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook for 10 minutes to allow flavours to meld.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth and velvety. Return the sauce to the pot if using a standard blender.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Bring back to a very low simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until fully incorporated and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Season the sauce aggressively with salt and pepper to taste. While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Toss the drained pasta directly into the pot with the pumpkin sauce. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce clings beautifully to the pasta.
- Divide the pasta immediately into bowls. Garnish liberally with fresh black pepper and extra Parmesan cheese before serving.