Sausage & Butternut Squash Pasta

Top down view of large kettle sitting on white countertop filled with orange colored squash pasta with wooden spoon inside

Sausage & Butternut Squash Pasta

This super cozy pasta recipe is absolutely perfect for the fall season! Made from large tubular pasta and a butternut squash sauce, the flavors are impeccable and serves a crowd!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Difficulty Intermediate

Method Cooking

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 730kcal

Author Kaleb

Ingredients

2 lb butternut squash
1 head garlic
1 lb Italian sausage sliced into ¼-inch pieces
1 lb paccheri pasta
1 cup chopped onion
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped sage
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz tomato paste
1 - 1 ½ cups pasta water
4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the stem of the squash and slice it in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with 1 tbsp olive oil and set the cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Slice off the stem and about ¼-inch from the top of the head of garlic, exposing all the cloves. Place in the center of a square of aluminum foil. Fold up the corners of the foil and tightly pinch to create a packet.
Place both the squash and garlic in the preheated oven. Cook the squash until tender and softened, 30-40 minutes. Cook the garlic until golden brown and soft, 40 minutes.
Once the squash is done cooking, start the pasta. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tbsp salt. Pour in the pasta and cook until al dente, or when the pasta still has a slight bite. Paccheri pasta will be about 12-15 minutes. Once al dente, remove from the water until ready to add to the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, add 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and spread to an even layer. Sauté until browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes. Remove the sausage from the Dutch oven and add the onion, salt, and garlic. Sauté until softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and sage. Then add the tomato paste. Stir and cook the tomato paste until darker in color and just beginning to stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Add the scooped out squash and 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Use a potato masher if the squash needs to be further mashed. Turn the heat to low. Stir until smooth.
Add the pasta and stir until it is all coated in sauce. Add the reserved sausage and Parmesan cheese. Stir and serve.

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