Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola

My daughter-in-law posted on Facebook a few weeks ago, several fall dishes that she had already prepared and enjoyed. She was way ahead of me, as I was just easing into the season, still not wanting to let go of summer.

I was telling my new daughter this past weekend that compared to me, when I first got married, she is leaps and bounds ahead with her cooking and desire to eat good foods. In fact, I have not yet told her this, but just hours before her beloved (my son) was born, I had served Hamburger Helper to my husband...I wasn't hungry that night–hmmmm, I wonder why? I am very happy to report that my Hamburger Helper days are long since gone, as I have discovered the joy of real (and healthy) food.

So, my daughter-in-law found this recipe over at Closet Cooking and it came highly recommended. The flavor combinations are different but they just work together beautifully. We enjoyed this very much.

I started by slicing the mushrooms.

Caramelizing the onions and mushrooms. Such wonderful aromas!

Looking more like a sauce with the addition of spices, pumpkin, gorgonzola, and cream.

The finished product. You should have seen me agonize at the grocery store about what kind of pasta to use. I finally opted for the mini-bow tie. It was a good choice but I think any pasta would do just fine! I did alter the recipe slightly, I found the sauce to be thick with just a 1/4 cup of cream. So, I added another 1/3 cup of half and half to the sauce. Also, if you want a more intense flavor with the sauce, I would suggest not using as much pasta.

This was so tasty and delicious!

Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola

Adapted slightly from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon sage (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pound pasta
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola (crumbled)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 handful sage leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan.

Add the onions and mushrooms and slowly cook them until they are nice and caramelized, about an 20 minutes. Start cooking the pasta. Add the garlic, sage, red chili pepper flakes and nutmeg and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the pumpkin puree, cream, gorgonzola, salt and pepper and simmer to reduce for a few minutes. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the sage leaves and fry until Crispy. Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve garnished with the crispy butter fried sage.

Yield: 4 servings