Pasta alla zucca is at its best when the pumpkin is allowed to break down slowly, then the pasta finishes in the same pan. Cream only dulls what the squash already does well: sweetness, body, and color.
We use Gusta penne here because the ridges catch the pumpkin sauce while the hollow center keeps each bite from turning heavy. The control point is liquid. Add enough water for the penne to cook, but only in stages, so the starch tightens the sauce instead of making soup.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 6 minutes, until soft but not browned.
Add the garlic and diced pumpkin with a pinch of salt. Cook 3 minutes, stirring so the pumpkin is coated in the oil.
Add 1 cup hot broth or water, cover, and cook 12 to 15 minutes, until the pumpkin crushes easily against the side of the pan.
Remove the garlic. Mash about half the pumpkin with a spoon, leaving some pieces intact for texture.
Add the Gusta penne and 1 1/2 cups more hot broth or water. Stir often and keep the pan at an active simmer.
Cook until the penne reaches 11 minutes total cooking time, adding the remaining hot liquid a ladle at a time only if the pan looks dry.
When the penne is al dente and the sauce clings to it, remove the pan from the heat. Rest 1 minute, then stir firmly to emulsify the starch into the pumpkin.
Season with black pepper and parsley. Serve immediately with a thin drizzle of olive oil.
You made Penne alla Zucca. Time to eat.
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If the sauce gets loose, stop adding liquid and keep stirring over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. If it tightens before the penne is done, add hot water by the ladle, not by the cup.
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