Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 pound rotini pasta
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.

Cook and stir sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain sausage on paper towels and reserve 2 tablespoons grease in the skillet. Add oil to grease in the skillet; cook and stir onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the hot oil-grease until onion is soft, about 3 minutes.

Stir chicken broth, pumpkin, bacon, Italian seasoning, and salt into onion mixture; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir cream and sausage into broth mixture and simmer until creamy and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add rotini and gently toss. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and golden brown, about 35 minutes.