Description
Silky butternut squash pasta with sausage delivers Italian comfort in one luxurious dish. Hearty sausage nestles among smooth noodles, creating a perfect balance of rich flavors and comforting textures you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
Aromatic and Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 onion (diced)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage (chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: red pepper flakes for heat
Liquid and Dairy Ingredients:
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Select a ripe butternut squash characterized by its dense weight and uniform beige complexion.
- Carefully remove the outer skin using a sharp vegetable peeler, then slice the squash lengthwise.
- Extract the inner seeds and cube the flesh into uniform 1-inch pieces.
- Drizzle cubes with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper before roasting at 400°F for approximately 25 minutes until golden and tender.
- Alternative cooking method: Boil squash cubes for 10-15 minutes if time is limited.
- Prepare sausage by removing casings from link varieties.
- Heat a large skillet over medium temperature and brown sausage, systematically breaking meat into smaller fragments during cooking.
- Once fully cooked, transfer sausage to a separate plate and drain excess grease from skillet.
- Within the same skillet, sauté diced onions until translucent and fragrant.
- Introduce minced garlic and cook briefly to release aromatic oils.
- Incorporate roasted butternut squash, chicken broth, and heavy cream into the skillet.
- Utilize an immersion blender to transform mixture into a smooth, velvety sauce. Alternatively, transfer to a standard blender if needed.
- Fold in grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped sage.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to enhance flavor profile.
- Monitor sauce consistency – it should smoothly coat a spoon while remaining pourable. Adjust thickness by adding broth or simmering.
- Cook pasta in generously salted water following package instructions until perfectly al dente.
- Strategically reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.
- Return pasta to original pot and combine with butternut squash sauce and prepared sausage.
- Gently toss ingredients, gradually introducing reserved pasta water to achieve ideal sauce coverage.
- Perform final taste assessment and make any necessary seasoning adjustments.
Notes
- Pick a ripe butternut squash by checking its weight and matte beige color for the most flavorful sauce.
- Roasting the squash caramelizes its natural sugars, creating a deeper, sweeter flavor profile compared to boiling.
- Swap sausage options easily; use chicken sausage for lighter meal, plant-based sausage for vegetarian version, or spicy sausage to add extra heat.
- Control sauce thickness by adjusting pasta water – more liquid makes it silky, less creates a richer coating on pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg