Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

During the fall, I’m always on the hunt for a mix of hearty veggies that can be added to pasta for fast weeknight dinners. This squash and sausage pasta was an immediate hit at our house. Even my kids liked it even though they don’t typically like pasta with “stuff” in it.

The key to making this pasta dish really special is to cook the cubed butternut squash in the drippings from the sausage so it gets browned and flavorful. Then you toss in the pasta and some cream and season everything well and it’s a very comforting fall dinner.

Instead of Parmesan cheese, I topped this skillet with grated gouda cheese, which melts like a blanket on the pasta and the flavor goes well with squash.

Let’s dig in and make this fast and delicious pasta skillet.

Ingredients for this Pasta Skillet

Let’s go through some of the ingredients that make this pasta skillet special.

• Penne pasta. While you could use other pastas, this was my preferred option.
• Italian sausage. I like a spicy version.
• Butternut squash. Kind of tough to work with but so worth it. Cube it in to about 1/2-inch cubes.
• Shallot and garlic. Good aromatics that go well with the squash.
• Cream. This makes the dish rich and brings everything together.
• Gouda cheese. Melty cheese that has a light, nutty flavor that goes well with the squash.

Don’t like butternut squash? Try my one skillet beef macaroni and cheese recipe!

How to Prepare Butternut Squash

Preparing the squash is probably the hardest part of this recipe. You can actually get pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash these days, but you’ll pay for it. Personally, I like to just pay a few bucks for a whole one and then break it down.

Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Then chop off the ends so it stands flat on the cutting board and use a knife to slice off squash peel. Then cube the squash flesh into about 1/2-inch cubes.

You probably won’t need a full squash to measure out the two cups you need for this recipe.

Cooking the sausage and squash

The key to building flavor in this dish is to cook the squash in the drippings from the sausage so cook the sausage first in a large skillet with some olive oil.

Brown the sausage really well and break it up as it cooks. Then remove it from the skillet, leaving as much fat as possible in the skillet.

Then add the squash to the skillet along with some water from the pasta cooking. Use the liquid to scrape up any bits on the pan and then allow the squash to brown a bit.

After the squash has cooked for 5-6 minutes it should be tender and then add the garlic and shallot. If you add it too soon, it’ll burn.

If the squash is still tough, you can add more water to the skillet, cover it for a few minutes, and steam the squash so it cooks faster.

Be sure to season the squash with a pinch of salt and pepper as it cooks.

What kind of pasta works well for this skillet?

I like penne pasta for this recipe, but you could use any similar shaped pasta or even bowties. I wouldn’t use spaghetti as it will be hard to get the ingredients incorporated.

How to finish this pasta skillet

Once your squash is cooked, add the sausage back into the skillet along with a splash of water and the cream. Stir everything together until it makes a rich sauce.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens. If it is really dry, you can add more water by the 1/2 cup until it forms a smooth sauce on the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this squash and sausage pasta dish immediately garnished with grated gouda cheese and parsley.

Here are a few other great recipes to try

• Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Bacon Bits
• Squash Baked Eggs
• Gnocchi Mutilations
• Butternut Squash Ziti
• Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Skillet