Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

You know, back in the day, I wasn't so sure about pumpkin.  Other than being a decoration and and roasting the seeds, I never really wanted much to do with pumpkin anything.  Over the past few years, I discovered a love of it in baked goods-and actually look forward to fall baking-pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake-it seems that I can't get enough pumpkin!  But, I was still unsure about using it in a savory dish...until now.

I had bookmarked this recipe for Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce as soon as I saw it on The Red Head Baker-last year.  Yup. It took me over a year to make this.  Well, I regret that decision, because this was one amazing pasta dish.  The pumpkin flavor is really mild, and this is basically a quick to assemble and cook creamy pasta dish-why had I not made this sooner?

If you're unsure about using pumpkin like I was, or if you know you love it, I would highly recommend making this-soon!

Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

2 (9-ounce) packages of fresh cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
½ cup (4 ¾ ounces) pumpkin puree
Pinch of nutmeg (ground or fresh)
1 ¼ cups of heavy cream (I used a combination of heavy cream and half and half)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions.  Before draining, reserve one cup of cooking water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and saute, stirring frequently, until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and the nutmeg, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. 

Stir in the cream, and bring the mixture to a slow (not rolling) boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Stir in the cheese, and cook until the cheese melts and thickens the sauce, about another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add the tortellini to the skillet, and toss with the sauce, gradually adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen the tortellini if they stick together or the sauce seems too thick. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Source: The Red Head Baker, originally from Food Network