Pumpkin Alla Vodka Pasta

Ingredients

8 ounces DeLallo Fusilli or short pasta of choice

2 tablespoons DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large shallot (or ½ small yellow onion), finely diced

10–12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons DeLallo Tomato Paste Tube

1 cup pumpkin purée

¼ cup vodka

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

⅛–¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Directions

Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with salt. Add the fusilli (or pasta of choice) & cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, to al dente. (Al dente cooking time is typically noted on package directions.) Once the pasta reaches al dente, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water, & set aside. Drain the pasta – but do not rinse – & set aside.

Soften & bloom the aromatics: Meanwhile, as the water comes to a boil, begin building the pumpkin vodka sauce. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, stir in the shallot. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened & fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sage, garlic, & crushed red pepper flakes (if using) & cook 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant.

Prepare the pumpkin vodka sauce: Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Add the tomato paste & pumpkin purée to the skillet, stirring to coat the softened aromatics. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture darkens a little & begins to coat the bottom of the skillet. Deglaze the skillet by slowly pouring in the vodka while constantly stirring & scraping up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the skillet. Once the vodka is almost completely cooked off, stir in the heavy cream, grated parmesan, & nutmeg. Taste & adjust seasonings as needed. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Finish the pumpkin pasta alla vodka: Add the cooked pasta to the pumpkin vodka sauce. Toss to combine well – the sauce should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up more. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, allowing the pasta to meld together with the pumpkin vodka sauce. Remove from the heat.

Serve: Portion the pumpkin pasta alla vodka into individual bowls, topping with grated additional grated parmesan or crispy fried sage leaves as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!