4-P: Pork, Pumpkin, Peppers, Pomodori — combine to make a tasty sauce for pasta or polenta. Or you can serve it by itself kind of like a chili. (Pomodori is Italian for tomatoes.)

I totally made this up on the fly last night. Most measurements are approximate. I know you can figure it out. Looks messy, tastes terrific. Try it!

4-P Pasta and Polenta Sauce

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 3-4 c. pumpkin puree (I used pumpkin I pureed myself, so it was more liquidy than what you’d typically get out of a can)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-4 bell peppers, depending on size, chopped
  • hot peppers, minced (to taste — this sauce is just mildly spicy)
  • 2-4 tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
  • smoked turkey stock as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick
  • a generous couple splashes of Marsala
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste
  • green onions for garnish, if desired

Brown the ground pork in a little olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add bell peppers, hot peppers, onions, garlic, and dried oregano, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, Marsala, rosemary, and stock as needed and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour, adding more stock as necessary. Stir in the basil just before serving and add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.

Serve over pasta or soft fresh polenta spiked with rosemary and cheddar cheese. Garnish with green onion

s.4-P Pasta and Polenta Sauce