PUMPKIN ALFREDO SAUCE

One of the best things about large squash such as pumpkin is that since they have a long shelf life, you can decorate your home with them (I personally prefer the real thing to any plastic decor) and still have time later on to use them for what they were created- as food.  

 

Now think about taking those pumpkins off your doorstep and eat ‘em up- they’re absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin, seeds removed, flesh roasted and cooled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
¼ teaspoon oregano
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 pound penne pasta noodles, cooked and set aside
parsley or basil as garnish

Directions

1. Roughly chop and set aside all pumpkin flesh.
2. In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter together.
3. Add flour and 3 Tb. of the milk to make a roux. Stir well.
4. Add pumpkin and stir into the roux. Add more milk if necessary, one tsp. at a time. If mixture is too thin, add more flour, ½ Tb. at a time.
5. Add spices, then parmesan, until mixture is fully blended and has a thick consistency.
6. Add cooked penne to pan and mix well until all ingredients are fully blended.
7. When serving, add a small pat of butter and freshly chopped basil or parsley to the top.