Pumpkin Rigatoni

It's officially Pumpkin season!!

It's one of my favorite flavors for fall!

I thought, why don't I try making Pasta too.

I've been just making Pumpkin desserts and its aways a hit!

So I decided to give this recipe a try.

It's actually really good.

Very light, Healthy and so much flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce package rigatoni
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 8-ounce bag fresh spinach
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. 1.Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions for al dente – reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta water for sauce before draining.
2. 
   
3. 2.In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it into pieces as it cooks, about 8 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a plate and set aside.
4. 
   
5. 3.Add olive oil to pan and sauté shallot, garlic and crushed red pepper, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly golden, about 3 minutes.
6. 
   
7. 4.Add spinach to pan and wilt, stirring occasionally. If needed, reduce heat to low until pasta is ready.
8. 
   
9. 5.Return heat to medium-high. Add pumpkin puree, sage and salt & pepper. Slowly stir in pasta water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until sauce has reached desired consistency. Return sausage to pan and toss with pasta, adding extra pasta water if needed.

Enjoy!!!

xoxo