Pasta with Mushrooms and Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce

By cprzybyl

CALORIES 462 (13% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.4g); IRON 3.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 265mg; CARBOHYDRATE 83.1g; SODIUM 636mg; PROTEIN 19.9g; FIBER 7.3g

Ingredients

• Any short pasta will work in this dish, but we did have a favorite brand of cheese--Saladena Gorgonzola. It gave the sauce a consistency more luscious than others we tried.
• 1 pound uncooked pennette (small penne)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3/4 pound whole mushrooms)
• 4 cups vertically sliced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• Fresh sage sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Keep warm.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Combine chopped sage and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and cheese to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes or until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Add pasta and pumpkin mixture to mushroom mixture; toss well to combine. Garnish with fresh sage sprigs, if desired.