Creamy Double Pumpkin Pasta

I made fresh pumpkin pasta that I posted about last week.  My lovely sister-in-laws were quick to ask what I served it with so I'm sharing that today. I served my pumpkin pasta with a pumpkin sauce. More is more, right?

In my mind, pumpkin sauce was the perfect match for pumpkin pasta.  Don't worry the pumpkin flavor is actually pretty mild but still tasty (read: it doesn't overdo it). If you don't have pumpkin pasta I would still recommend making this sauce (then you can call your dish creamy pumpkin pasta). It's creamy & when you add the fresh veggies like I did it's a pretty healthful dish (yes there is some cream & cheese in there but the bulk of it is veggies - so eat up!).

P.S. Happy Halloween!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh pumpkin pasta (or you can use any boxed kind you have on hand)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 sage leaves, cut into thin strips
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup half-&-half
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan (plus extra for serving of course!)
• 1 tablespoon white-wine or champagne vinegar (whatever white vinegar you have will do & if you don't have white vinegar how about some white wine?)
• 3 cups fresh baby arugula
• 2 small zucchinis, cut into strips or shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 2-3 cups of reserved pasta water
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper

Make it!

1. Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat.
2. Using a veggie peeler or a mandolin or just a sharp knife shred zucchini into think strips & set aside.
3. Mince the garlic & shallots.
4. Julienne the sage.
5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet (that will be big enough to add your pasta to).
6. When oil is hot add thyme & sage & flash fry them for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will flavor your oil ever so slightly. Remove the herbs & place on a paper towel to absorb the oil -save your herbs for later.
7. In the meantime if you're water in boiling add a good tablespoon of salt (hey we're talking a pound of pasta in a lot of water - 1 tablespoon it is! or you can use less)
8. Add pasta.
9. Cook pasta until al dente (if you're using fresh the time will be significant less so pay attention). Reserve 3 cups pasta water; drain pasta & set aside in 1/2 cup of the pasta water so it doesn't get stuck together.
Carefully (oil is hot and will spatter) add pumpkin puree, garlic, half-and-half, Parmesan, vinegar, red pepper flakes & 1 cup reserved pasta water to skillet. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. I like to use tongs I think it's the easiest way to mix it all together.
10. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water.
11. Season well with salt & pepper.
12. Turn the heat off & add the zucchini & arugula & toss well.
13. Sprinkle with the reserved herbs. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese as you please.