Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage & Pumpkin Tomato Sauce - Your New Fall Tradition
Creamy, indulgent, flavorful comfort food is just what I’m wanting as the weather turns cooler and the days become shorter! A warm bowl of pasta on a chilly evening in front of a roaring fire sounds like heaven to me and I’ve found the perfect pasta that I’m sure will become a fall tradition!
This Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage & Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is a memorable, melt-in-your-mouth pasta with all the flavors of fall…sausage, pumpkin, sautéed onions, garlic and freshly grated Parmesan cheese! Pair this dish with a green salad, buttery, crunchy, warm Italian bread and a glass of red wine for a celebration of the fall season!
I made this pasta with the most flavorful Italian sausage from Heritage Foods! Heritage Foods sources meats from Heritage breed animals and the quality is impeccable. It’s meat I feel good about eating and it’s always delicious. Heritage Foods is committed to preserving heritage breed animals and supporting family farms who are stewards of the land. All of the meat they sell is grown on pasture and antibiotic free. The Italian sausage I used in this pasta came from Parma Sausage Company. They have been producing New York style sausages from a family recipe since the 1950’s. I feels good to support businesses like this!
If you haven’t looked into Heritage Foods, you are missing out! They offer the best quality meats you will find and everything you could want including a great selection of charcuterie for a perfect fall cheese board all delivered right to your door!. If you’re interested in placing an order, you can use code SUZANNE20 for 20% off. This doesn’t apply to sale items or fresh Thanksgiving turkeys.
While this pasta isn’t a quick and easy weeknight meal, it’s definitely worth the time and feeds a crowd. You could easily bake it in two smaller dishes and freeze one, or cut the recipe in half, but if you’re going to the trouble, you may as well make the whole recipe in my opinion! I love to have delicious homemade things in the freezer to pull out and enjoy! Leftovers are also nice to have around for lunch the next day!
I found this recipe in the pages of a Better Homes & Gardens Pumpkin Recipes magazine that I picked up at the grocery store the other day! There are so many other delicious sounding pumpkin recipes in the magazine and I’m already planning to make several others including the pumpkin muffin recipe that’s on the cover!
A delicious Cabernet Franc from the Chinon region of France ordered from Dry Farm Wines was the perfect accompaniment to this rich meal. This wine has mineral notes and is very easy to drink.
Chinon is located in the Loire Valley southwest of Paris and is known for its wines, castle, and picturesque town. Almost all red wines from Chinon are made entirely with Cabernet Franc.
Use this link to become a member of Dry Farms and get an extra bottle of wine for a penny! You’ll love pairing these interesting wines with your food and learning about the regions and grapes! Much like Heritage Foods, I feel good about consuming wines that are grown organically with care for the environment!
Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage & Pumpkin Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried ziti or rigatoni pasta
- 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage - mild or hot or a combination
- Olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion (2 smallish onions)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 - 15 ounce cans pumpkin
- 2 - 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
- While pasta is cooking, in a 12-inch skillet, remove sausage from casings and cook over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat 4 - 5 minutes or until tender. Add wine and cook 2 minutes or until evaporated. Stir in next 7 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 or so minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add sauce to pasta in pot. Stir in sausage and some of the Parmesan. Season to taste with additional salt and crushed red pepper. Transfer to a large baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned on top. Add additional parsley to garnish.
Notes
This recipe is from the Fall 2023 Better Homes & Garden Best Pumpkin Recipes Magazine and it is very delicious!
This recipe will be added to my repertoire of favorites and one I’ll make every fall! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! If you’re looking for more delicious pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out this post! Thanks for reading today and I would absolutely love if you left a comment…AND, if you enjoyed the post, please share with your friends!