This butternut squash pasta is a vibrant fall meal full of cozy flavors. It’s a hearty pasta recipe that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight!
The Fall Pasta Dish We’re Craving
I love butternut squash season and this butternut squash pasta is one of my favorite fall dinners. Simple ingredients come together to create a tasty seasonal pasta dish that we crave all season long.
I already have a creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe on Kristine’s Kitchen, so for this easy pasta recipe I skipped the creamy blended sauce. Instead, we’re combining orecchiette pasta with cubes of roasted butternut squash so that the nutty, caramelized flavor of the roasted squash can shine. It’s one of the best ways to enjoy butternut squash!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Orecchiette is a short pasta shape whose name translates to “little ears” in Italian. It is my favorite pasta to use in this dish, but you can substitute any short pasta shape that you love.
Italian sausage brings big flavor, while butter, shallots, fresh sage and garlic round out the savory fall flavors and bring the cozy vibes. Finally, spinach adds a pop of color and sneaks in some greens.
How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage
Roast the butternut squash. Toss cubed squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then bake at 400° F for about 25 minutes, tossing once after 15 minutes.
Kristine’s Tip: See my Roasted Butternut Squash recipe for tips on how to cut butternut squash, or use pre-cubed squash from the store to save time.
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to the package directions for al dente. Before draining it, reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Do not rinse the pasta – you want all of the starches to stay on the pasta to help create a light sauce when you add the cooking water to the dish later on.
Cook the sausage in a large skillet, crumbling the meat, until it’s fully cooked.
Finish the dish: Add the butter and chopped shallot, followed by the fresh sage. Then add the minced garlic and fresh spinach and cook for a minute until the spinach wilts. Add the cooked pasta, 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, and some salt and pepper, to taste. If the pasta seems dry, stir in a little more pasta cooking water. Last, gently mix in the roasted butternut squash.
Serve, with grated Parmesan and a few pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Add toasted pine nuts or toasted walnuts. (Toast them for a few minutes in a skillet over medium-low heat.)
- Make this dish year-round by swapping other veggies when it’s not butternut squash season. Try roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes or roasted brussels sprouts. In the spring and summer, try my Pasta Primavera recipe instead.
- Swap the sausage for bacon. Cook it in the skillet to build a base layer of flavor for the dish, then crumble and add it to the finished pasta. Or, leave out the sausage for a vegetarian meal.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Pasta
You don’t need much when it comes to side dishes for this butternut squash pasta. A simple salad or some bread is enough to round out the meal:
- Make a Green Salad or this Arugula Salad with pears and shaved Parmesan for more tasty fall flavors.
- Slice up some sourdough bread or make Homemade Breadsticks if you have more time.
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
For the roasted squash:
- 3 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups cubed squash)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta, or another short pasta shape
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped shallot, 1 medium shallot
- 6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
- salt and pepper, to taste
For serving (optional):
- grated Parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes, just a few pinches, to taste, for heat
Instructions
- Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cubed squash in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle on 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat the squash with the oil and seasonings. Spread the squash out on the baking sheet in a single layer with a bit of room in between each piece. Bake for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the squash pieces and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until squash is tender when pierced with a fork and lightly browned on the edges.3 pound butternut squash, 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta (do not rinse).1 pound orecchiette pasta
- While the pasta cooks: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (first remove it from the casings if sold in casings), crumble and cook until cooked through.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound Italian sausage
- Once the sausage is fully cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped fresh sage and cook for 1 minute.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup chopped shallot, 6 leaves fresh sage
- Add the minced garlic and chopped spinach and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until spinach wilts. Add the cooked pasta, 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, and some salt and pepper, to taste. If the pasta seems dry, stir in 1 more tablespoon of pasta cooking water. Last, gently mix in the roasted butternut squash.2 cloves garlic, 3 cups chopped fresh spinach, salt and pepper
- Serve, with grated Parmesan and a few pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
- Add toasted pine nuts or toasted walnuts. (Toast them for a few minutes in a skillet over medium-low heat.)
- Make this dish year-round by swapping other veggies when it’s not butternut squash season. Try roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes or roasted brussels sprouts. In the spring and summer, try my Pasta Primavera recipe instead.
- Swap the sausage for bacon. Cook it in the skillet to build a base layer of flavor for the dish, then crumble and add it to the finished pasta.
Made it and it’s quite nice, thanks for the recipe!
This is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever made!!