Pasta smothered in yummy pumpkin sauce

My late mom had sampled this dish on one of her trips to visit my sister in the US and she must really have enjoyed it. When she got back, she prepared this dish for herself and my younger sis many a times for dinner. During one of our phone conversations, she told me to give it a try and gave me a run down of the ingredients involved. It sounded like one of those dishes that you could make in a hurry; fine for one of those lazy-to-cook-days. :) One fine day, when I had pumpkin in the fridge and spaghetti in the pantry (obviously on one of those 'so darned lazy to cook days'), I made it for dinner. Everyone loved it. I adapted the recipe from www.about.com below, and sprinkled some chopped scallions (spring onions) over the top for extra flavour.

Pumpkin Sauce over Pasta

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound pumpkin flesh, peeled seeded and diced (use one pumpkin about 1-3/4 pound)
8 fluid ounces strong vegetable stock
2 tbsp parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley
4 fluid ounces single cream
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
pasta, freshly cooked, to serve

Instructions
Gently fry the garlic and onion in the oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Do not allow them to burn.

Add the pumpkin and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender.

Break up the pumpkin by beating it with a wooden spoon, and stir in the parsley, cream, nutmeg and seasoning. Cook for a further minute and add a little of the pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Pour over the pasta and serve immediately.

Yield: 3 servings