Pumpkin Baked Ziti

This recipe comes from Paula Deen.  As you can tell, I've been loving the pumpkin lately.

I ended up just making the sauce (no sausage), and pouring it over the pasta, then topping it with the Parmesan.  I didn't end up baking it in the oven.  It was much quicker this way and VERY delicious.
I was literally saying "mmm" the whole meal.
  Biggest and Big liked it with the pumpkin cream sauce, but Bigger just wanted butter and garlic salt on his pasta.  

SORRY I don't have a picture.  I was too busy engulfing the meal, and I don't like the image from the Food Network.

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (obviously optional)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 (15-ounces) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream 
• 1 pound ziti pasta, cooked 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter (8) 8-ounce ramekins.

Cook sausage in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered about 8 minutes. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Discard any fat from the skillet in excess of 2 tablespoons.

Add onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and oil to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until soft; about 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree, vegetable stock, and sage. Mix together and add salt. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cream and sausage. Simmer until the sauce comes together and is thickened slightly.

Add cooked pasta and parsley to the skillet and gently toss all the ingredients together to coat. Divide the rigatoni mixture between the 8 prepared ramekins. Sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with Parmesan cheese and bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-baked-ziti-recipe/index.html