Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients: sausage, pumpkin, spring onion, fresh sage, Parmesan cheese, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and rigatoni pasta.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and let it render its fat, browning it slightly. Once cooked, remove the sausage from the pan, keeping the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine (optional, as the non-stick pan may not require it).
4. Add a little extra virgin olive oil if needed, then add the chopped spring onion. Cook until softened.
5. Add the diced pumpkin and a few whole sage leaves. Stir and add a splash of water to prevent burning. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin starts to break down and become creamy.
6. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in plenty of salted boiling water until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package instructions).
7. When the pasta is ready, drain it (reserving some pasta water) and add it to the pan with the pumpkin. Add the cooked sausage back in. Toss to combine, adding a little pasta water if needed to adjust consistency.
8. Remove the whole sage leaves. Add a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and mix vigorously off the heat to create a creamy emulsion.
9. Serve immediately, garnishing with fresh sage leaves and an extra grating of Parmesan.