Description

Creamy weeknight pasta with roasted butternut squash, chicken Italian sausage, spinach, and a silky Parmesan sauce made without heavy cream.

Ingredients

Scale

12 oz (340 g) short pasta (rigatoni or penne)
1 lb (450 g) butternut squash cubes
12 oz (340 g) chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp dried sage (or 6 fresh leaves, chopped)
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or half-and-half (or unsweetened oat milk)
3/4 cup (60 g) grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
2 cups (60 g) baby spinach
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

Roast the squash: Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss squash with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper on a sheet pan. Roast 20 minutes until tender and caramelized.
Cook pasta: Boil in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Build the sauce & toss: Brown sausage in a large skillet 4–5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, sage, remaining salt and pepper; cook 2–3 minutes. Stir in broth and milk; simmer 2 minutes. Add roasted squash, spinach, and pasta. Toss, adding pasta water until glossy. Off heat, fold in Parmesan and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Notes

Dairy-free: Use oat milk and dairy-free Parmesan, emulsifying with extra pasta water. Gluten-free: Use GF pasta and add pasta water gradually. No pork: Use chicken or turkey sausage; for meat-free, sauté mushrooms.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop, Roast
Cuisine: American-Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cups (270 g)
Calories: 580
Sugar: 7
Sodium: 780
Fat: 22
Saturated Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 62
Fiber: 6
Protein: 32
Cholesterol: 80

Keywords: Easy Sausage and Butternut Squash Pasta, creamy pasta, chicken sausage pasta, weeknight dinner, one-pot pasta, dairy-free option, gluten-free pasta, sage pasta, spinach pasta