Pumpkin Sausage Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
· 8 ounces pasta (rigatoni, ziti or farfalle work well)

Ingredients for Filling:
· 1 pound Italian sausage
· 1 cup pumpkin puree
· 1 cup ricotta cheese
· 1 egg, slightly beaten
· ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
· ½ teaspoon nutmeg
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ teaspoon pepper
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Sauce for Sauce:
· 1 cup whole milk
· 1 cup chicken broth
· 1/3 cup unsalted butter
· 1 tablespoon sage
· 3 tablespoons flour
· Salt and pepper to taste
· ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
· 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
3. Cook Italian sausage through and drain well.
4. To make filling: In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and parsley. Add sausage, mix well and set aside.
5. To make sauce: In a small pan, heat milk and broth. In another saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the sage. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the hot stock/milk mixture in thirds, whisking each time. Add salt, pepper and mustard. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
6. In a medium casserole dish, layer the ingredients as follows: ¼ sauce, 1/3 pasta, 1/3 pumpkin filling and ¼ of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times. Add one last layer of the sauce and top with remaining mozzarella.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden and dish is heated through and bubbly.