Tuesday Taste Test: Penne with Pumpkin and [Turkey] Sausage

The first time I made this recipe, I used (gasp!) pork sausage. My boyfriend and I had recently moved in together. He took a few bites, chewed thoughtfully, and said, "You know, you shouldn't cook pork." "Huh?" (No idea what he was talking about.)

This launched a whole convoluted discussion about keeping kosher. He grew up in a kosher household (although they sometimes ordered pepperoni pizza and ate it on paper plates), and wanted us to do the same. Ha! I had never heard something so preposterous in my life!

Ah, compromise. As anyone will tell you, it's the key to a functional relationship. Or, as my now-fiance says, "Neither party is happy." But I think we've reached a good compromise in our house, where we're both happy. While we cook any number of cheeseburgers, shellfish, chicken parmesan, etc., there's no pork allowed in our house (unless it's pepperoni pizza--which we actually eat on real plates).

So now I make this pasta with turkey sausage, and it's every bit as good (well, almost). This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, perfect for fall. I use cream (because that's allowed), but you can leave it out, or substitute a little nondairy creamer.