pumpkin fettucine pasta

The addition of pureed canned pumpkin was one of my experiments in pasta making at home that turned out quite well. Not only did the pumpkin impart good flavor to the pasta but it also resulted in a bright and sunny color which added a nice touch to this pasta dish. The pureed pumpkin also blended well and was very easy to add to the pasta dough.

This was just a simple Italian sausage pasta that I thought would be ideal to make for the pumpkin fettucine pasta with the red bell peppers, green parsley and white button mushrooms representing the colors of Italian flag. Cook the fresh pumpkin pasta in boiling water and drain well reserving some of the pasta water. Remove the sausages from the casing then cook until well browned. Set aside to drain. In the same pan in about 1/4 cup olive oil, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant for just a few seconds. Continue to add the sliced red bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes. Return the browned meat to the pan and toss with the ingredients. Add more olive oil if necessary. Add the drained pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if it gets too dry. Transfer to a serving dish then sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.