It looks like Fall is finally here to stay, just in time for Halloween and Novemberfest! My favorite thing about Halloween used to be Trick-or-Treating. But as I grew up, I stopped stuffing my face with Halloween candy and started snacking on pumpkin seeds from the Jack-o-Laterns that lit our front porch. I started to realize that while I  love candy (and I do love candy, I’m snacking on PEZ from a halloween themed dispenser right now), pumpkins really are the best thing about Halloween. My favorite thing about them is that no matter what you do with them, pumpkin brings people together.  Carving pumpkins and toasting the seeds is always done with family or friends, and the most famous pumpkin dish of all, pumpkin pie, is served on Thanksgiving, a holiday celebrated by being surrounded by family. This year, my first pumpkin-filled night of the season consisted of Organic Canned Pumpkin and Hocus Pocus with my roomates; resulting in a creamy pumpkin pasta dish — so good, it could distract the Sanderson sisters from their hunt for children. Topped with crispy sage leaves and toasted pecans, this savory dish is impossible to resist! Say ‘Hello!’ to Fall, and get in the spirit with Creamy Pumpkin Penne with Crispy Sage!
Recipe adapted from Chloe Coscarelli
INGREDIENTS
-1 pound penne pasta
-4 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil, divided (vegetable oil can be subsituted)
-1 onion, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 (14-15 oz) can organic pumpkin
-2 tbsp tomato paste
-2 cups non-dairy milk (regular milk can be used)
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-3 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-8-10 fresh sage leaves, divided
-3/4 cup toasted pecans
PREPERATION