{recipe} if you decide to make just one recipe from my blog, let it be this one

A lovely Fall-spiration photo with Amanda from a sisterhood retreat in GA last year.

 My roommate Rima is absolutely convinced that my main squeeze currently is pumpkin in a can.

 She is quite possibly correct.

I go pumpkin crazy as soon September comes around each year. 

Pumpkin Spice Lattes? Check.

Pumpkin bread? Check.

Pumpkin beer? Check.

Pumpkin butter? Check.

(Pumpkin butter is cooking on my stove as I type this. Recipe coming sooon!) 

I can't wait until it actually cools down enough to make roasted pumpkin soup. In the meantime, go pick up a cinnamon broom from the store and be prepared to crank down your air and turn your fans on full blast while you eat the best Fall-inspired pasta dish EVER. 

I'm not sure how this recipe never quite made it on my blog before. I have requests from friends and roommates every year to make it for them once Fall rolls around. Before I was cooking it in my kitchen in Tallahassee, I was eating it every year in Tampa - courtesy of my lovely parents.

This originally is a Rachael Ray recipe, but I have come to think of it as a Smith family recipe instead. As my roomie Amanda says, I will definitely be making this every year for years to come. It is that awesome. :)

Don't get scared with the seemingly long list of grocery items or if something is foreign to you.
You really can adjust it to fit your needs!

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, taken out of its casing and crumbled in the pan.
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried - (I bought a container of dried bay leaves in the spice section for like $2.50)
• 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons- (I omitted this last night because I don't like to buy fresh  herbs if I know I can't use them all. It was fine!)
• 1 cup dry white wine **
• 1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container **
• 1 cup canned pureed pumpkin (you can find this in the canned fruits or vegetable aisle)
• 1/2 cup half & half (original recipe calls for heavy cream, do what you want!)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste (I didn't need to add salt at all!)
• 1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente. (I used whole wheat Penne.)
• Top with freshly grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese. 
• Serve with pumpernickel or whole grain bread.

**If you are under 21 and have no access to dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay) you can still make this dish! This happened to me my sophomore year of college when I made it. I called up my momma and she told me to substitute the one cup of white wine with another cup of chicken stock.**

Directions:

• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet (DO NOT POUR THIS DOWN YOUR SINK DRAIN. BAD. - Pour it into a glass container and take care of it later.) and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
• Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. (If you are substituting chicken stock for the wine, add one cup of it now and let it reduce some as well.)
• Add chicken stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer mixture for 5 to 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
• Serve pasta on a plate and spoon sauce over it. Grate Parmesan cheese on top and serve with toasted pumpernickel bread. ENJOY!

It tastes better than it photographs, I promise!

And here is some more Fall-spiration. :)

Me, my grand-little, & my little at Stone Mountain in GA last year.

Now, go and get your pumpkin on.