Pumpkin Penne

I’ve been making sweet treats left and right this fall, especially pumpkin flavored goodies. Due to the fact that we are going to Australia in a month and I would like to not gain ten extra pounds before we go, I decided I should probably lay off the baked goods and try something a little more wholesome with the cans of pumpkin sitting in my pantry…

So I decided to make pumpkin sauce, and pair it with penne and chicken for dinner. Pumpkin on pasta, you say? Yes. And it was quite delicious.

What you need:
2-3 chicken breasts cooked {I boiled mine while I made the sauce}
1 lb. penne pasta
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 of a medium onion
1 can chicken broth {14.5 oz.}
1 can pumpkin puree {15 oz.}
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 cup cream or half and half
Dash of flour {if needed for thickening… only if you use half and half}
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Red Cayenne Pepper
Sage
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese {split}

What you do:
1} Cook your chicken. I think boiling and then shredding it is easiest.

2} Drizzle olive oil in pan and brown chopped garlic and onions over medium heat.

3} Start pasta at this point. You know what to do…

4} Add chicken broth and pumpkin and hot sauce. Stir until smooth and bring to a low boil.

5} Add cream and a dash of flour if needed. Continue to stir and keep at a low boil.

6} Add each spice. I recommend two dashes of each, except for the Cayenne pepper. Only one of that!

7} Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8} Add 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth. A whisk can be helpful for the stirring.

9} Top pasta with shredded chicken and pumpkin sauce and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese!

P.S. Rumor has it you can substitute sausage for chicken in this recipe for spicy/sweet treat. I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds delicious!