Description
A comforting autumn pasta dish featuring sweet roasted butternut squash, browned sausage, and fresh sage in a creamy sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400 g (14 oz) dried pasta (rigatoni, gemelli, or penne)
- 450 g (1 lb) Italian sausage, casings removed
- 400 g (3 cups) butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
- 60 g (3/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) reserved pasta cooking water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 30 g (1/4 cup) toasted walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss the butternut cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 18–22 minutes until golden.
- Bring salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until very al dente, about 10–12 minutes. Reserve pasta cooking water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking it up, and cook until browned, about 6–8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add chopped onion, sautéing until translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sage; cook 30–45 seconds.
- Pour in heavy cream and simmer gently. Stir in Parmesan until melted and add reserved pasta water little by little.
- Add drained pasta and roasted butternut to the skillet; toss until coated. Stir in lemon zest and juice.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and sage leaves.
Notes
For a lighter sauce, substitute heavy cream with low-fat milk and butter. Make-ahead by roasting squash in advance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 780
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 82g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 95mg