Main Dish
Penne with Pumpkin and Smoked Turkey
DeLoach Vineyards
1791 Olivet Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
deloachvineyards.com
- RECIPE YEAR: 2013
- RECIPE BY: Sue Boy
- YIELD: Serves 4
- PAIRS WELL WITH: DeLoach Russian River Valley Chardonnay
This is a comforting dish that makes great use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. For an elegant presentation, serve the pasta in small, hollowed-out sugar pumpkins. Stuff the pumpkins in advance and bake them in the oven for 30 minutes. Then garnish with more cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound penne rigate
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 4 fresh sage sprigs, leaves cut into chiffonade
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup diced smoked turkey
- Several handfuls of spinach or chard, cut into chiffonade
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Directions:
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, sage and wine to the pan and simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and pumpkin and stir to combine. Cook the sauce, stirring constantly, until it bubbles. Reduce the heat and stir in the cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes, adding the turkey during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the pasta to the pot in which it was cooked. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Place over low heat and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt just a bit. Add the cheese, remove the pot from the heat and toss again before serving.
