Fusilli with pumpkin, mushrooms and sausage

October 25th is marked as World Pasta Day, a day to celebrate the versatile deliciousness of one of the most popular Italian dishes. The origin of the day dates back to 1995 when 40 pasta producers decided to form a World Pasta Congress. Vanessa and Matteo from Belli.demamma decided to prepare fusilli with pumpkin, sausage and mushroom. A mix of simple ingredients that bring to life an unique and mouth-filling taste. Pumpkin, sausage and mushroom  give a rich flavor to this dish! On the other side, our regional fusilli, just like homemade ones, fit perfectly this sauce thanks to their peculiar swirl shape that retains the sauce: the best to fully enjoy your pasta dish.

To enjoy these donuts at their best, try to combine them with a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Atlante Brand and its notes of black cherry and red fruits.

PREPARATION

1. To begin wash the mushrooms and cut them into very thin slices. Coarsely chop half onion, half carrot and half celery. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry the vegetables until softened and then add the mushrooms.
2. In the meanwhile, peel the pumpkin and cut into 1-inch chunksand then coarsely chop half onion, half carrot and half celery. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry the vegetables. Add about 1 cup of the cooking water and cook for 10-15 mins.
3. In a large pan, brown Italian sausage over medium-high heat , breaking it into pieces. At this point pour half glass of our Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and continue to turn until the sausage absorbs the wine. Then mix everything together.
4. When the pumpkin is ready, put aside about half of it, while blending with an immersion blender the remaining one and then create a cream. Add salt and pepper. 
5. Let's put the pumpkin cream in a pan and put it on the stove. Add the butter and only after it has melted, add the Parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously to incorporate everything.
6. Add the mushroom and sausage mix and the pumpkin cubes to the pumpkin cream (we suggest you leave some of the mushroom-sausage mix and the pumpkin cubes aside, so that you can use them as decoration for the dish at the end).
7. Let’s bring the water to a boil and add salt. Add Atlante Brand Fusilli and set aside about 1 cup of the cooking water.
8. When the fusilli are a little more than halfway through cooking, drain and toss them in the pumpkin cream, add half a cup of cooking water and cook on a high heat.
9. Serve and garnish with mushrooms, sausage and pumpkin cubes… buon appetito!