I was asked to cook dinner for the Monster Bash dinner and dance at the Des Moines Yacht Club later this month. I wanted to fix something that spoke to Fall and/or Halloween. Hmmm, pumpkin fit the bill. But what to make?!

I wanted something that could be made ahead and heated in the oven. It is hard to finish off a dish and get everything out on the table for the hungry crowd while people are coming into the kitchen talking to me!

I posted the braised pork with onion and apple ‘jam’ recipe the other week so that was one idea. I also have a great recipe for what is kind of like a French onion soup baked in a pumpkin, but that wouldn’t work very well for a crowd.

Then I saw some recipes for pumpkin pasta. I decided to try combining several ideas into one. And, since our friends Randy and Terri were coming over to see Darrel, why not make them the guinea pigs?

The following recipe is the one I made last night, but I would change it up a bit making it for a large group of 60 plus. For one thing, using lots of fresh mushrooms will be less expensive than dried. However, you miss out on the great mushroom broth you get when rehydrating them. Lots of umami in mushrooms for lots of great flavor. So, I might use a combo of both.

Pasta with Sausage and Mushrooms in a Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
2 oz Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked, save water (or 8 oz of fresh sliced cremini mushrooms)
3 Tbl Butter
1 lg Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 C Pumpkin puree (yes, I made my own, but you could use canned)
1 C Gruyere, shredded
1/2 C Cream
1/2 C Mushroom water or chicken broth
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbl Fresh sage, chopped
1 lb Penne Pasta
1/2 C Parmesan, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray.

Cook the sausage in a skillet or in the oven until no longer pink inside (150 degrees). Cool slightly and slice on the diagonal.

Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat and add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent. (If using fresh mushrooms, add into skillet) Add nutmeg and sage and stir together. Put in large bowl along with the sausage.

Add pumpkin puree, gruyere, chopped mushrooms, cream, and mushroom water. Add more cream and/or broth, as needed, to make sure it is very creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Darrel, Terri, Randy, and I all thought it was awesome! I think it will go over well for the Monster Bash, too.