Thanksgiving is one of those mix-and-match holidays where people open their homes to family, friends, even strangers, to enjoy a communal fall meal together and to give thanks...for, let's face it,...even being fortunate to have food on the table these days.

Often, family and Friendsgivings are potluck style. BYOB and bring-a-dish. For anyone who wants a departure from Ambrosia salad and green bean casserole, here's a seasonal recipe requires minimal effort to bring to the table.

You can buy a quality frozen ravioli; I recommend Terra Cotta Pasta ravioli from Hannaford Supermarkets or Trader Joe's four-cheese ravioli.

I bought one of those little pasta makers this summer, so I decided not to make it easy on myself and make the ravioli from scratch for this recipe. I'm no Ina Garten, just a home cook, but if saving over 500 TikTok recipe videos has taught me one thing, it's that I will try and try to make something until it looks passable.

Onward.

Savory Pumpkin Cream Sauce over Four-Cheese Ravioli

First, do not do what I did—buy pumpkin pie filling. It's too sweet and spiced. What you need instead is pure pumpkin puree, such as Nature's Promise Organic 100% pumpkin, also found at Hannaford's. Every mistake I make in cooking is like driving in Boston. One wrong turn and I'll never forget that again.

Recipe for one or two people.

• 10 raviolis
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• Several cloves roasted of garlic
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Parsley for garnish

Cook the ravioli in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, until they float to the top, reserving a half cup of pasta water before draining. In a saucepan, sauté onion for three to four minutes, then mash in the roasted garlic along with heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, sage, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Let it simmer in a saucepan for three to four minutes, adding reserved pasta water, until slightly thickened.

Serve the drained ravioli with a good drizzle of the pumpkin cream sauce and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a few red pepper flakes, and a sprig of parsley.

The pumpkin in this dish does not overwhelm at all; it's a decadent bite of the gooey four-cheese ravioli topped with a mild, savory cream sauce with a tiny kick of red pepper. You can make the sauce ahead, freeze it, and assemble in the kitchen in minutes. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and feed a friend!

Kay Stephens is a home cook with a penchant for recipes and a reporter for Penobscot Bay Pilot. Her dishes are decent enough, but not Instagram-worthy.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com