Whole Wheat Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

So thanks again to the wonderful Pinterest (if you haven't joined yet I don't what you're waiting for! Ask me if you need an invite!) Someone else repinned and posted this and I knew it would be perfect to get some fall cooking in.

The recipe was posted on Martha Stewart's website, but she credited it to Everyday Food (November Winter 2007). I made so many changes due to ingredients and tasting the sauce that I just posted my version, but you're welcome to use hers.

Our verdict? This was a delicious dish. Perfect for fall, but not one that I would put in my rotation. It's one of those meals that is super yummy, but so unique in flavor that you wouldn't appreciate it all the time. I'll probably make it again this fall or winter, and then save it again until next year. Let me know what you think!

Whole Wheat Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Recipe by Martha Stewart
Serves 4-6, depending on portion  
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Ingredients:
*12 ounces penne rigate (ridged), or other short pasta
*salt
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*1 tsp dried rosemary
*1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/2 cup half-and-half (John drank the rest of our milk so I did a cream and water combo)
*1/3 cup grated Parmesan
*1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish (optional)
*1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
*2 tbsps brown sugar
*a sprinkle of nutmeg

 Preparation:
*Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.

*In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. Add rosemary and fry, stirring, until starting to brown, 1 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rosemary to a paper towel, leaving oil in pot. (FYI, I couldn't get all mine out. Oh well.)

*Carefully (oil is hot and will spatter) add pumpkin puree, garlic, half-and-half, Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, brown sugar and sprinkle of nutmeg and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

*Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water.

*Season generously with salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with fried rosemary and, if desired, more red-pepper flakes.

*"Cook's Note" from the original website: Frying rosemary in olive oil not only turns the herb into a crispy garnish -- it also infuses the oil to create a tasty base for the pumpkin sauce.

Frying rosemary

draining the oil

all the sauce ingredients

Mixing in the pasta

Ta-da!

Creamy and perfect fall food :)