Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Method

1. Prepare the pumpkin: cut off the skin, remove seeds, and dice into cubes of similar size. Rinse the cubes in water two or three times to remove excess starch and sweetness.
2. Remove the casing from the sausage and cut into small pieces.
3. Finely chop the parsley.
4. In a high-sided pan, add olive oil, a crushed garlic clove (skin on or off as preferred), and chili (with seeds if desired). Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is golden.
5. Add the sausage pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat, until they release fat and liquid.
6. Add the pumpkin cubes and mix well to coat with the cooking fats. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add a pinch of chopped parsley (the bitterness balances the sweetness) and a few sprigs of thyme.
7. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the pumpkin in its own liquids for about 7-15 minutes, until the pumpkin becomes creamy and the liquid has reduced.
8. Remove the garlic clove when the pumpkin is nearly done.
9. Add 3-4 ladles of hot unsalted water to the pan, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until a creamy sauce forms.
10. Add another 3-4 ladles of hot water, so the liquid covers the pumpkin and sausage by about a finger’s depth.
11. Bring the mixture to a boil again, then add the short pasta. Cook the pasta directly in the pumpkin–sausage mixture, adjusting the water level if needed (it should cover the ingredients).
12. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package time. About 4 minutes before the end, taste and adjust salt if necessary.
13. When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.
14. Add the remaining raw parsley (which will give a sweet note), grated pecorino romano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and an optional pinch of black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
15. Cover and let rest for 1 minute before serving.