Today I embraced the rain, gray sky, and Fall with open arms. Rob returned home late last night from a week long business trip and this morning he gave me the gift of time by taking all the kids and a friend to the state fair all day so I could catch up on the blog and other projects around the house. I soaked in the silence and freedom of our quiet home and treated it as sacred personal retreat. I cooked most of the day and made myself this chorizo arugula pumpkin cream sauce and poured it over pasta. I ate in silence with a glass of ice water staring out the window just allowing myself to enjoy the moment. I relish days like today.
Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage seasoned with smoked paprika and salt. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle but detectable and the cream just balances everything out beautifully. I added chopped arugula to give it an added layer of flavor and texture. I found whole arugula leaves to be too strong but added in a chopped form was perfect. I’m pretty sure my kids wouldn’t touch this but I for one loved it. This dish is very simple to prepare with few ingredients and would be great to make on a cold, rainy day like today. Enjoy.
- Chorizo Arugula Pumpkin Cream Sauce
- 1 /2 lb ground chorizo sausage
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ water
- ½ cup chopped arugula
- 1 lb package of dry pasta, cooked al dente.
- Cook chorizo for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat in a frying pan. Add pumpkin, heavy cream, and water to the pan and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add arugula and give everything one last stir. Pour sauce over prepared pasta.
This is really good information. You have done an excellent job of research and writing.
I made this dish tonight! I also made this into a vegeterian version by using soy chorizo from Trader Joes. It was a great alternative to using pork chorizo! I have never tasted actual Chorizo but this dish with the soy chorizo was AWESOME! very Fall like! YUM!
oh my this looks so creamy and fantastic!! i love your site alice.
I think it must have been the Mexican type because it looked like ground beef.
I’ve been meaning to come in here and post that this sounds aMAZING. I love savory pumpkin dishes, and I think it pairs nicely with basil. Just wanted to ask – did you use Mexican style chorizo (uncooked) or the Spanish style (cured, like salami). It looks like Mexican in the photo but you also mentioned smoked paprika …
This looks so delicious and so fall!! I am going to make this very soon, thanks! I love chorizo and don’t buy it enough, thanks for the reminder.
I just recently found your blog and pretty much salivate over every single recipe you put on here. This one is just about making me go to the store right this instant to make this right now.
I saw chorizo and though, YUM. Then I saw arugula, and thought even better. Then I saw pumpkin and I thought I might die over this recipe. And then you put it on pasta and it just got even better! Very tempting. I’d love to give this a shot.
Sounds super yummy!
Love this recipe! I was just dreaming of pumpkin and sausage today… It’s such a fantastic combination!
Oh boy! I will definitely be making this dish soon. LOVE pumpkin and sausage 🙂
Ooooo. I think I’ll have to do italian sausage because my fam is not spicy friendly (but I’d love to make some with Chorizo for myself!). Thanks for the recipe.
Oh Alice, this looks wonderful! What a great treat for a lovely fall day. 🙂
Wonderful recipe! Will be trying this.
Carmen
Yum. Must.Try.This. The sauce looks delicious and I love chorizo! TFS!
Wow, Alice. This really does sound like an amazing combination. My kids would also balk at the sauce, but who cares. I’d eat it when they went to bed. I might swap out the glass of ice water for a glass of wine, though. 🙂
Alice-
This looks amazing! It sounds like you a fabulously quiet and relaxing day! We all need days like that every once and a while.
Loving this! I made a sausage/pumpkin cream sauce for pasta over the winter and no one was into it but me. I thought it was wonderful, but I love your addition of the arugula even more. I’m going to try it next time.
I keep hearing about the pumpkin shortage again. So glad I stocked up when I had the chance!
WOWZAH. this looks SO AMAZING! i can’t wait to try it…that is, when i can get my hands on some pumpkin 🙂
This is absolutely calling to me. It sounds fabulous!
My surfer would love this!! Gorgeous color.
We made chorizo yesterday (and spicy italian sausage and garlic wine sausage). I might have to try this recipe with what’s left in the fridge!
I keep seeing pasta sauces with pumpkin, I must try this some day. It sure sounds good.