Pasta in sausage and pumpkin sauce with lettuce

Ingredients:

Pasta with sauce

• 450 g penne rigate, cooked until al dente
• 450 g sweet Italian sausage
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 4 crushed and finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-6 sprigs sage, leaves picked and chopped (about 2 tbsp)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 0.5 cups heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• Grated Parmesan
• Whole grain bread for serving

Spinach salad with apple and red onion as a side

• 450 g of triple-washed spinach, stems removed
• 1 large bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 small apple, peeled, quartered and chopped
• 0.25 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grain mustard
• 1 tbsp. honey

Preparation:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sausage. Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the pan and return it to the stovetop. Add the remaining olive oil, then the garlic and onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft.
2. Add the bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and pumpkin puree and stir. Cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to bubble.
   
   Return the sausage to the pan, reduce the heat, and add the cream. Sprinkle the sauce with cinnamon and nutmeg, and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
3. Return the drained pasta to the pot it was cooked in. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and pour the sauce over the pasta. Stir the sauce and pasta together and reheat over low heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle the pasta with plenty of grated cheese and sage leaves.
4. Serve the pasta with bread and a spinach salad with apple and red onion.
   
   You can add mushrooms to this dish - recipe Penne pasta with pumpkin and mushrooms.
   
   Spinach salad with apple and red onion
   
   Place the spinach, bell pepper, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place the oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey in a small plastic container and cover. Shake the dressing to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper to taste.