Velvety Pumpkin Cream Sauce

By sschwartz

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium vidalia onion, finely minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree (1 small can)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup pasta water (see note)
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese (parmigiano reggiano would be lovely as well)
• salt and pepper to taste

Details

Adapted from foodpluswords.com

Preparation

Step 1

heat a saucepan over medium heat until warm, 1-2 minutes.

combine butter and olive oil in skillet, and when the butter is completely melted, add the onion.

stirring frequently, cook the onion until it begins to soften, 3-4 minutes.

turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the white wine.

cook until the white wine is almost completely evaporated and there’s only about a tablespoon or two remaining in the pan, about 5 minutes.

in the meantime, get a large pot of water going on the stove. once the water has reached a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt, about a tablespoon or so.

add the pasts to the water cook until al dente, according to the instructions on the box. when it’s ready, reserve one cup of the pasta water, and strain the pasta in a colander. do not rinse the pasta.

turn the heat down to medium on the saucepan, and add the pumpkin puree, sugar, salt and pepper.

stir until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. the mixture should look fairly thick and chunky.

add the chicken stock to thin it out a bit, and stir until the pumpkin and stock are incorporated together.

add the sage, and turn the heat down to medium-low.

simmer for about 10 minutes, and then add the heavy cream and pecorino. stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is a lovely pale orange.

slowly add pasta water to the sauce until a creamy consistency is achieved; you may not need to add the full cup the recipe calls for. taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if need be.