Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

I love the pop of color butternut squash and the flavor and texture it brings to a dish. This is one of those perfect Fall dishes. I grilled the sausage to add a little more flavor, but you could do either way,

Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
(Adapted from Julia’s Album)

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Roasted Butternut Squash
2 cups butternut squash , peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread the squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.

Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ lb sausage , crumbled, without casings

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.

Add crumbled sausage and cook for about 10 minutes, regularly stirring, until the sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Tip: Cook the sausage while the butternut squash is being roasted. I grilled our sausage for added flavor.

Creamy Pasta Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
6 oz spinach
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
¼ teaspoon salt

In a separate, large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil together with minced garlic and spinach over medium heat. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 5 or 7 minutes until spinach starts to wilt.

Add heavy cream. Bring to a brief boil, then immediately reduce to simmer (boiling but not intensely). Add shredded Parmesan cheese. Keep stirring the sauce with the Parmesan cheese on low to medium boil (simmer) until the cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Season with salt to taste, about ¼ teaspoon of salt. No salt might be necessary if the sausage is very salty.

Tip: Use your judgment about whether to add salt or not based on how salty the sausage is. Make the cream sauce while the butternut squash is being roasted.

Pasta
8 oz farfalle (bow tie pasta)

Cook pasta al dente in boiling water according to package instructions. That usually means cooking pasta in boiling water for about 7 to 11 minutes. Drain.