I questioned whether I should really post this recipe or not. For one, I've seen like a bazillion pumpkin pasta recipes in just the last three days alone. However, I'll have you know that I made this like a week ago, okay!? And second, I adapted it from...Rachael Ray. Disgust. Apparently my distaste for Rachael knows no bounds. That, and I couldn't get any good photos. Yes, the odds were definitely against me on this one, but this pasta was much too delicious not to share! It'd be a crime, and rather selfish. Plus, I wanted to share photos from our first ski of the Winter with you! There's currently no snow around here, so we had to go seek it out in the mountains.

And we were not disappointed. Alaskan beauty at it's finest! Winter is the best time of the year. You can see those photos below the recipe, but first, it's pumpkin time!

pumppasta4

I said, "It's pumpkin time!" This pasta is creamy, cheesy and packed with pumpkiny goodness. The sage lends depth and the sausage...well, you have to have some vegan sausage right? Yes.

Cheesy Pumpkin Sage Penne with Sausage

Inspired by Food Network

Serves 4-6

18 oz. penne pasta, dry
2 Field Roast Smoked Apple and Sage Grain Sausages, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella, shredded
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, minced

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside until ready to use.

Bring a medium frying pan to heat with a bit of nonstick cooking spray and brown the sausage slices, for about 5 minutes. Set aside when done until ready to use.

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Bring a medium frying pan to heat with a bit of nonstick cooking spray and brown the sausage slices, for about 5 minutes. Set aside when done until ready to use.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes, until the onions begin to turn translucent and the garlic becomes fragrant.

Produce On Parade - Cheesy Pumpkin Sage Penne with Sausage

Add the remaining ingredients to the onion and garlic, excluding the sage and sausage. Whisk well to combine and allow to simmer over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add additional cornstarch as is needed.

Once thickened, add to the pasta and toss to coat, along with the sausage slices.

Produce On Parade - Cheesy Pumpkin Sage Penne with Sausage