Posh Pumpkin Pasta

For a festive fall dinner party, serve this delicious pasta dish in a hollowed-out pumpkin instead of a bowl:

Pumpkin Penne

1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1/2 pound penne or other tubular pasta
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan

In a large skillet, cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the butter over moderate heat, stirring until the vegetables are softened. Then, stir in the pumpkin, broth, water, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, boil the penne in a kettle of salted boiling water until al dente, ladle out of the reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, and drain the penne well.

Add the penne to the sauce, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring and thinning the sauce as desired with some of the reserved cooking water, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated well, and stir in the parsley. Put all in pumpkin, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve with a sprig of fresh parsley.