Autumn Pasta

There something about fall that makes me crave a creamy pasta dish, and this one checks all the boxes. The pumpkin brings a velvety sweetness, the ricotta and Parmesan make it luxuriously creamy, and that sprinkle of nutmeg ties it all together with a warm, autumn touch. Top it off with crispy sage and you’ve got comfort food in a bowl.  This makes 4-6 servings.

You will need:

12 oz fresh pasta (fettuccine or tagliatelle work beautifully)

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 whole garlic cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin purée

¾ cup ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

1–1 ½ cups reserved pasta cooking water

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and black pepper, to taste

A handful of fresh sage leaves, fried in olive oil until crispy

Fry sage leaves in a few tablespoons of olive oil. It takes 3-5 minutes, so watch it.  Remove the leaves and set on a paper towel to use for later.  Add the whole garlic cloves to the oil, once they turn golden remove them too.  Pour the oil into a small bowl to use for drizzling on the finished pasta, leaving about a little in the pan.

Cook  pasta in a big pot of salted boiling water until it’s just al dente. Before you drain it, scoop out about 1 ½ cups of the cooking water, you’ll need it for the sauce. While the pasta cooks, warm the butter in the same skillet that you cooked the sage in,  over medium heat. Toss in the garlic and let it sizzle until fragrant and golden.

Stir in the pumpkin purée and let it cook for 2–3 minutes, just enough to take the chill off and deepen the flavor.

Lower the heat and add the ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Stir until everything melts together into a creamy, dreamy sauce.

Start adding the pasta water a little at a time, stirring, until the sauce is silky and clings to the back of a spoon.

Season with salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.

Add the drained pasta straight into the pan and toss it well so every strand is coated in that golden sauce.

Serve right away, topped with crispy sage leaves and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.  The  piece a la resistance?  A drizzle of the sage oil on top!!