Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta
Sweet, caramelized roasted butternut squash and savory Italian sausage are tossed with pasta in a rich, creamy sauce with fresh sage, Parmigiano, toasted pecans and a touch of nutmeg. Part of the roasted squash is mashed right into the sauce for extra creaminess while plenty of caramelized pieces remain for texture.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Meat Chopper (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 (2½-3 pounds) butternut squash (See Notes.)
- Olive oil or other neutral oil for roasting
- Salt and black pepper
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional, about 2 ounces
- 1½ pounds Italian sausage casings removed
- 4 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 cup finely chopped shallots or sweet onion
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 6 sage leaves divided (3 whole and 3 chopped)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 pound pasta + salt for pasta water See Notes below.
- ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese about 1.7 ounces
- 2-3 Tbsp butter at room temperature cut into small cubes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil optional, for finishing
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Use the convection setting if your oven has that option. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Chop 3 sage leaves and leave the remaining 3 whole. Cut the butternut squash into ½”- ¾” dice. (See Notes below for details on this.)(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Roast Butternut SquashToss the diced butternut squash very lightly with oil, then spread it out in an even layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Use two sheet pans if necessary.1 (2½-3 pounds) butternut squash
- Roast it in the 400°F preheated oven until tender (but not mushy) and caramelized, about 30-35 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper.
- While the squash is still hot, mash about ⅓ of it with a fork. Then set both the whole and mashed roasted squash aside.
- Toast Pecans (if including)Place chopped pecans in a small, dry skillet that fits them easily in a single layer over medium-low heat. Stir them occasionally until they are toasted lightly and have a nutty aroma. This will only take a couple of minutes. Nuts will burn very quickly, so do not walk away from the stove when doing this!½ cup chopped pecans
- Brown SausageWhile the butternut is roasting, pour 2 Tbsp olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it up into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. NOTE: Be sure to brown the sausage well for maximum flavor.1½ pounds Italian sausage
- Once the sausage is cooked and browned, remove it to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics & Make SauceReduce the heat to medium-low and pour the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil into the pan, followed by the shallots, garlic, 3 whole sage leaves and crushed red pepper.1 cup finely chopped shallots or sweet onion, 2 Tbsp chopped garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- Cook until the shallots are translucent and the garlic has softened and browned a bit, about 5 minutes or so. You can cover the pan to speed up this process if desired.
- Deglaze with WineThen pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits.1 cup dry white wine
- Return the cooked sausage to the pan, increase the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the wine has reduced a bit and most of the alcohol flavor has cooked off.
- Add Cream and Finish SauceAdd the cream, salt, black pepper and nutmeg to the pan and stir.1 cup heavy cream, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Then add both the mashed and whole pieces of roasted butternut squash to the pan and stir gently until all ingredients are well-combined.
- Cook until the cream has reduced a bit and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. If the sauce has become too thick, stir in some pasta water. Then, turn off the heat.
- Cook Pasta & Finish DishMeanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta, stirring frequently. Turn the sauce back on to medium-low after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes.1 pound pasta + salt for pasta water
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture as needed, about ½ cup at a time.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off heat. Then gently stir in the Parmigiano cheese, butter, remaining 3 chopped sage leaves and a large pinch of freshly ground black pepper until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2-3 Tbsp butter at room temperature
- Drizzle with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil (optional) then transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped nuts (if including) and serve immediately. Buon Appetito!
Video
Notes
Selecting Butternut Squash:
- Pick a butternut squash that feels heavy and dense for its size, is fully tan or cream with no green or yellow patches and does not have any soft or mushy parts.
- You’ll need about 2 pounds diced, raw butternut, so start with a squash that’s about 2½ –3 pounds. You’ll lose some weight from trimming, peeling and deseeding.
- After roasting, you should have about 1½ pounds total roasted butternut squash. If you have extra, just use it for another purpose. It goes great tossed into a salad or enjoyed on its own as a side dish.
- Scrub the outside of the squash clean.
- Slice about ¼” or so off both ends of the squash revealing the orange flesh.
- Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin. You may need to peel it a couple of times until you see the bright orange squash flesh.
- Then, use a sharp knife to cut the neck and bulb apart.
- Slice the bulb in half and scoop out all the seeds and fibers with a spoon.
- Then cut the both the neck and bulb pieces into cubes that are approximately ½”–¾” dice.
- Don’t worry too much about perfection here.
- You’re not starting with a perfect rectangle or square so it won’t be possible to get a perfect dice.
- The most important thing is that the pieces are all approximately the same size so that they cook at the same time.
- You can roast the butternut squash up to 2 days in advance of making the pasta. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you need it.
- NOTE: If you feel skittish about prepping butternut squash, you have two options: (1) buy pre-peeled squash in chunks (which is generally available in grocery stores year-round) and cut it down into smaller pieces, or (2) use a cut-resistant glove (linked above), which I find very handy!
- Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1½-2 Tbsp salt.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta as needed for additional moisture to finish cooking the pasta.
- You may also need to add some pasta water before adding the pasta to loosen up the sauce.
- Sprinkle the toasted nuts over the plattered pasta. Alternatively, place them in a small bowl to be passed around at the table.
- Note that toasted pumpkin seeds would also be a great option!
