Cookbook: Pasta with Mushrooms & Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce

The weather has finally cooled down again here in DC after several days of temps back in the 80s. I've been craving a warm, filling pasta dish and came across a great recipe. It has minimal ingredients and was easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 lb. uncooked penne pasta (I used ziti)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Appx. 5 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (a/b 3/4 lb. whole mushrooms). *I used a combination of shiitake mushrooms and presliced baby bellas.
3 cups vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
Fresh sage springs (optional)

Prep:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, & garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Combine chopped sage and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and cheese to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes or until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add pasta and pumpkin mixture to mushroom mixture; toss well to combine. Garnish with fresh sage sprigs, if desired.

I thought that the dish needed a little extra salt so I would keep it handy.