Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

I starred this recipe from Cara's Cravings blog. It looked so good and the mixture of pumpkin and spinach really intrigued me. I did make a few changes from her original recipe but it truly was delicious. The family loved it and happily, so did I.

10 oz whole wheat penne pasta (1 ladle of the cooking water reserved)
olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 TBSP fresh parsley
6 links sweet turkey sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup nonfat milk
asiago cheese, optional

















Cook the pasta according to the box directions. Remember to save a ladle of the hot pasta water before you drain it.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add in the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking up into pieces in the process. Drain the sausage and set aside.
Add onions to the skillet and cook 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.
Combine pumpkin, ricotta cheese, and milk in a large bowl. Blend with an immersion blender until it is smooth.
Add to pumpkin mixture to skillet, then add in the spinach. Cook over low heat, adding in a ladle of the pasta water just before serving. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with shaved asiago cheese.