Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

Fall flavors fill this super-easy and delicious pasta dish. Butternut squash, sweet Italian sausage, sage and pasta go together like, well like butternut squash and sage. Everything is cooked in the same pan (except for the pasta), so clean-up is easy.

A low-carb option for this is to make noodles out of the butternut squash. You can check out my Butternut Squash Noodles from a few years ago.

When we heat the butter and it starts to brown (caramelize), it adds a ton of flavor. We’re really “pan roasting” the butternut squash for this dish, instead of cooking it in the oven. It will cook a lot faster and helps keep down on the dishes.

The sage fries with the butter and gets nice and crispy, creating a delicious savory aroma around the kitchen.

Sweet Italian Sausage is just the best, isn’t it? I feel like it can be added to just about anything to add so much wonderful flavor. My favorite place to buy sausage is at Sprouts Market butcher counter. They make the sausage in-house; it is so delicious and is often on sale.

The cream picks up the flavor of the squash and the sausage to help coat the pasta noodles to make every bite delicious. A little vinegar at the end adds some brightness and a great contrast with the richness of the flavors.

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Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

Fall flavors fill this super easy and delicious pasta dish. Butternut squash, sweet italian sausage, sage, a little cream are a delicious and savory combination. 

4.89 from 9 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Justin McChesney-Wachs

Ingredients

• 3 cups Butternut Squash, cut into 1/4″ dice
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, divided
• 1/2 lb Sweet Italian Pork Sausage
• 8 Fresh Sage Leaves
• 8 oz Pasta, cooked al dente
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tbsp Sherry Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and the butter starts to brown.
• Add the diced butternut squash and 4 sage leaves.
• Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes until brown and tender, stirring frequently. Season with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.
• Remove the squash from the skillet and set aside.
• Remove the sausage from its casing and add to the skillet with a little oil, breaking it up into bite size pieces with the back of a spoon or spatula. Brown and cook through.
• Add the squash back to the skillet along with 4 more sage leaves and 1 tablespoon butter. 
• Cook for another 2 minutes to crisp sage leaves.
• Reduce the heat to low and add heavy cream, cooking for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Add the cooked pasta, vinegar and grated parmesan cheese.
• Gently stir to combine and remove from heat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water.
• Serve immediately with more grated parmesan.