Description
This autumn sausage pasta squash easy dinner idea combines sweet butternut squash and savory Italian sausage, creating a comforting and delicious meal that takes just 30 minutes to prepare. It's perfect for busy families and celebrates seasonal produce.
Ingredients
1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
3 cups Butternut squash, cubed
12 ounces Pasta (rigatoni or penne)
2 tablespoons Olive oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cups Chicken broth
8–10 leaves Fresh sage leaves
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Heavy cream
Salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
- Remove sausage from casing and add to the skillet, breaking it apart as it cooks for 5-7 minutes until browned
- Add cubed butternut squash to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 8 minutes until softened
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining
- Push sausage and squash to the sides of the skillet, add minced garlic to the center, and cook for 30 seconds
- Add sage leaves and let them crisp up slightly, then pour in chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the pa
- Reduce heat to medium, add heavy cream, and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened
- Add drained pasta to the skillet, toss everything together, and add reserved pasta water as needed
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy, then taste and adjust seasonings
Notes
For a lighter version, use ground turkey or chicken sausage.
For a vegetarian option, skip the sausage and add white beans and extra mushrooms.
To make it dairy-free, use coconut cream and nutritional yeast instead of heavy cream and Parmesan.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-pot cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg