Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

This is a great sauce to celebrate Autumn. As a friend of mine candidly put it, "That sounds heinous!" However, it is, in fact quite delicious. I would not make it my first recipe if it weren't super yummy...

This is best served over gluten-free pasta but can also be a great sauce over sticky rice (be generous with your sauce if using rice since it absorbs so much moisture).

For this recipe, you will need:

- 1 lb Cooked Gluten-Free Pasta or Sticky White Rice
- 1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
- 1 medium Onion, sliced and chopped in quarters
- 4 Cloves of Garlic (or maybe ~1 Tbsp Garlic Powder... use your best judgment)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Tbsps fresh Sage
- 1 c Dry White Wine or Chicken Broth
- 1 c Chicken Broth (2 c total if using Broth over Wine)
- 1 15-oz can Pumpkin puree
- 1/2 c Evaporated Milk
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- Salt/Pepper to taste

Start water to boil for pasta or rice. Add pasta when ready. Coat large skillet w/ cooking spray and brown sausage. Remove from heat, drain grease, and set meat aside in separate bowl. Return pan to stove. Coat with additional olive oil or sausage grease if necessary. Add chopped onion and garlic. Sautee til onions are soft, keeping pan wet. Add bay leaf, sage, and white wine (or 1st cup of chicken broth). Cook til half of liquid evaporates. Mix in pumpkin and (2nd cup of) chicken broth. Continue stirring til sauce starts to bubble. Add sausage back in and reduce heat. Stir in evap milk. Add seasonings and simmer 5-10 mins to thinken. Remove bay leaf. Pour over pasta or rice. Garnish with Parmesan or Romano cheese and additional Sage if desired.

Notes: Use a Sweet Italian Sausage or if possible, a sausage that has only salt and pepper seasoning. Also it's important not to brown the onions and keep the pan wet during the sauteeing process.