Maccaroni with Pumpkin Sauce

I found this super-simple, super-delicious recipe for "Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta" on Rachael Ray's website. I simply didn't add the few of the ingredients I didn't have, and kind of generally halved it, since I'm only one, and it claims to feed six. (One would think that halved recipe should feed three, but instead it just fed me.) The recipe I made used these ingredient; I copied Rachael Ray's instruction's below.

• Elbow maccaroni
• Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 (plus a little) cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
2. While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, pumpkin and cream. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage.
3. Toss the pasta with the sauce and pass the parmigiano-reggiano around the table.

I was very lucky that my roommate happened to have some heavy cream she had just told me I could use when I came across this recipe, because otherwise I'd never have had it. The pumpkin taste is understated, but hey, it's not like I'm cooking lots of pumpkin because I can't get enough pumpkin. I'm cooking lots of pumpkin because I can't get rid of enough pumpkin! (In fact, my one problem with this one is that it doesn't use enough pumpkin! How many nights in a row would I have to eat this to clean out my freezer?) I had trouble getting my sauce to thicken at the end, which could be because I left a couple ingredients out; you never know how that messes with your chemistry. It was delicious nonetheless. I'll definitely try this one again.