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Butternut Squash & Sausage Pasta

Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta is an easy weeknight dinner recipe and tasty enough for entertaining! This one-pan meal is full of comforting fall flavors.

butternut squash and sausage pasta in skillet

Years and years and years ago (12+ years ago!!) when I started this blog, this Butternut Squash and Sausage Penne was the first recipe I ever shared. Of course way back then I took pictures of it with my phone in harsh fluorescent light and the pictures did it no justice. So of course it is time to share it again with fresh photos!

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes and the perfect fall pasta recipe. I love the sweet flavor of butternut squash and it goes perfectly with the sage sausage and white wine sauce. It’s very easy to make which makes it perfect for weeknights but I think it’s special enough for entertaining as well. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

butternut squash and sausage pasta ingredients on countertop
  • olive oil
  • butternut squash (buy pre-cubed butternut squash for convenience if desired)
  • ground Italian pork sausage or links with casings removed
  • garlic
  • dry white wine
  • chicken stock or broth
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • penne pasta
  • parmesan cheese as desired

Step by step

  1. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom before adding cubed squash. 
  2. Cook the squash 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer squash to a bowl and set aside.
  3. Lower heat to medium-high and add sausage. Cook sausage 7-8 minutes until browned, breaking up until crumbled. 
  4. Reduce to medium heat and stir in the garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add white wine and stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned sausage and deglaze the pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and return squash to pan. 
  5. Add chicken broth. Heat to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
  6. Cook for about 15 minutes or until squash is very tender.
  7. While the sauce is cooking, prepare penne according to package instructions. 
  8. When pasta is finished toss the cooked pasta with sauce mixture and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

​Variations

  • If you do not want to use the wine, you can feel free to substitute the white wine for an equal amount of chicken broth for the deglazing step of the recipe.
  • Spice it up with hot Italian sausage instead of sage or add a little bit of red pepper flakes to the mix.
  • No pork sausage? If using turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or ground chicken I recommend adding fresh herbs such as fresh sage or fresh parsley for more flavor.
  • Use pecorino romano cheese instead of parmesan.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. I recommend adding a little chicken broth when reheating in the microwave to keep the pasta from drying out.

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If you’ve tried this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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bowl with butternut squash and sausage pasta

Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: pasta
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Butternut Squash and Sausage Penne is an easy weeknight dinner recipe and tasty enough for entertaining!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/3 pounds sage Italian sausage
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • shredded parmesan cheese as desired

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pan over high heat and add the olive oil. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom before adding cubed squash.
  2. Cook the squash 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. Lower heat to medium-high and add sausage. Cook 7-8 minutes until well cooked, breaking up until crumbled.
  4. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  5. Add white wine and stir constantly, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned sausage.
  6. Simmer 1-2 minutes and return squash to pan.
  7. Add chicken broth. Heat to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
  8. Cook about 15 minutes or until squash is very tender.
  9. While sauce is cooking prepare penne according to box instructions.
  10. When pasta is finished toss with sauce mixture and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. I recommend adding a little chicken broth when reheating in the microwave to keep the pasta from drying out.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 607
  • Sugar: 4.4 g
  • Sodium: 169.9 mg
  • Fat: 17.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 108.9 g
  • Protein: 18.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: squash and sausage penne



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