Pumpkin & Sage Chicken Over Linguine

One of the most frequent questions I get from people who first learn that I blog about recipes is, How do you come up with your own recipes?

The answer comes in two parts:

1 – Practice, practice, practice! In other words, cook, cook, cook!

2 – Take the flavors you love, the ones that you already know go very well together, and use them in new ways.

If you caught my Pumpkin and Sage Risotto last week, I bet the first thing you’re going to think when you see this recipe is, Wow, this girl loves her some pumpkin and sage! And yes, I do.  Those flavors go really well together.

I’ve taken my love for the flavor combinations of pumpkin and sage and put them together in two different completely different recipes.  The taste are similar, but the texture and intensity of different flavors are completely unique.

And you can do the same with your favorite flavor combinations! I could go on and on all day about the many wonderful ways to use pumpkin and sage:

– Pumpkin and sage gnocchi with scallops
– Pizza or flatbread with pumpkin sauce, bacon, sage and caramelized onions
– Pumpkin soup with sage, roasted pumpkin seeds, and creme fraiche
– Pumpkin and sage lasagna with 1/2 sausage, 1/2 beef

Okay, I’ll stop there.  I’m sure you get my point.

If you’re an experienced home cook, you can really let your creative juices flow if you know a bit about flavor combinations.  It really is that easy.

And if you’re not an experienced home cook, please see answer #1 above.

But before I scare you off with all this “experienced cook” talk, let me clarify — you do not need to be an experienced cook to make any of my recipes, including this easy pasta dish.

Pumpkin & Sage Chicken Over Linguine
(Serves 4)
Tired of the same old pasta? This dish is a delicious alternative to the typical pasta covered in marinara. This pumpkin sauce has become a seasonal favorite of mine and it is a wonderful compliment to the earthy sage chicken.
Ingredients
Sage Chicken and Linguine:
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound chicken, cut into bite size pieces
8 oz. linguine
1/4 cup parmesan regiano
Pumpkin Sauce:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup parmesan reggiano, grated finely
Directions
Sage Chicken and Linguine:

Melt butter by heating it in a pan on medium heat. Once butter has completely melted, add 1/4 cup sage leaves, stirring to mix thoroughly with butter. Allow to cook for two minutes. Add chicken to the pan and stir to thoroughly coat with butter and sage. Cook chicken until the pieces are no longer pink in their center.

Fill a large pot full of water, salt well, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions.

Plate 1/4 of the pasta and top with 1/4 of the sauce (recipe follows) on each plate. Then, top with 1/4 of the chicken sprinkling 1 tablespoon of parmesan region, then 1 tablespoon of chopped sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Sauce:

In a medium sized pot, add pumpkin, yogurt and milk. Stir well and turn heat to medium. Continue stirring until sauce starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low and add spices. Add cheese last and stir well to combine.

NOTES: Simply sub in brown rice noodles to make the recipe gluten free.