Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta

I love this recipe, adapted from the Our Best Bites cookbook. It's creamy, cheesy and decadent-tasting while remaining diet-friendly. You know we're all watching what we eat leading up to November/December's eight week eat-a-thon. Nearly everything I’ve tried from that book is amazing. It’s definitely worth owning.

Mix milk, cream cheese, flour and salt well in your blender.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and add onions, chopped as small as possible. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Then add garlic, sage and thyme. Stir constantly for about thirty seconds.

Pour the milk mixture on top of the garlic and onions. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium and let cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, add parmesan and stir to combine.

Cover the sauce with a lid and let stand at least ten minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin and warm over medium-low heat until heated through.

Serve over your favorite pasta. We chose shells and it was a huge hit. I will make this again and again.

Cut-and-Paste Recipe

Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta

www.biteuponbite.com

12 oz of your favorite pasta

2 cups low-fat milk

1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp real butter (divided)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C finely minced onion

1/2 C canned pumpkin (try more if you love pumpkin, this is really mild)

1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)

1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Mix milk, cream cheese, flour and salt well in your blender.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and add onions, chopped as small as possible. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Then add garlic, sage and thyme. Stir constantly for about thirty seconds.

Pour the milk mixture on top of the garlic and onions. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium and let cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, add parmesan and stir to combine.

Cover the sauce with a lid and let stand at least ten minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin and warm over medium-low heat until heated through. Serve over your favorite pasta.