Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
6 servings

olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, chiffonade
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup cream
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked
10oz cooked and chopped spinach
Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1
tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer
sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan
to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and
onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2
minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until
it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in
cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and
pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf
from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce
and pasta and spinach and toss.

Garnish the pasta with cheese.