Paper Palate

Rachael Ray… it seems like people either love her, or they hate her. I happen to like Rachael Ray. I don’t watch her shows, but I do get her magazine and always seem to find plenty of recipes in each issue to keep subscribing. Her recipes aren’t always simple, as you would expect, but her instructions are always clear. Yes, you sometimes have to go out and buy some random ingredients that you might not normally carry in your pantry, but the way I look at it, her recipes keep me from getting into a “same old, same old” rut.

Take this recipe for her Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce, which was featured in the most recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Such a simple dish to make, but by adding the pumpkin cream sauce to the dish, she turns it from being an ordinary recipe to an extraordinary recipe. I changed the recipe slightly by adding some cubed chicken sauteed in garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. It was a delicious addition to an already delicious recipe!

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

1 pound penne pasta
2T butter
1 onion, chopped
Salt & pepper
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot, along with the reserved pasta water, and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt & pepper.

Top pasta with parsley and more Parmesan to serve.