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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sausage And Spinach

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach is a cozy Italian-American main featuring a smooth squash-cream sauce and tender wilted greens. Rigatoni or penne gets tossed with reserved pasta water for a silky coating.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rigatoni or penne
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
baby spinach
  • 4 cup baby spinach
onion
  • 1 onion
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic
butternut squash puree
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
pasta cooking water
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water
parmesan, grated
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
Cook the sausage
  1. Brown Italian sausage, casings removed in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Drain off the fat and set the sausage aside.
Build the sauce
  1. Sauté onion in the same skillet for 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring until softened. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  2. Stir in butternut squash puree and heavy cream, mixing until smooth. Add nutmeg and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parmesan, grated and stir until the sauce turns glossy and smooth.
Toss and finish
  1. Add the drained pasta and reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss until the pasta is coated, 1-2 minutes. Add baby spinach and toss until just wilted.
  2. Return the cooked sausage to the pan and season with Salt and pepper to taste. Toss again for 30-60 seconds so everything is evenly distributed.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, toss the pasta in the sauce over gentle heat and use the reserved pasta cooking water a little at a time until it looks glossy (not dry). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days; reheat with a splash of water or cream. Freezer: not ideal because the cream sauce can separate, but you can freeze for up to 1 month and rewarm gently. Dietary swap: use turkey sausage or a plant-based Italian sausage alternative to reduce saturated fat.