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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sausage And Spinach

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach coats rigatoni in a silky orange sauce made with butternut squash puree, heavy cream, and parmesan. Browned sausage, sautéed onion-garlic, and wilted spinach fold into the pasta for a hearty Italian-American main dish.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
Meat
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
Greens
  • 4 cup baby spinach
Aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Sauce base
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
Brown sausage
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown Italian sausage until cooked through. Drain excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Build the sauce
  1. Sauté diced onion in the same skillet for 4 minutes, stirring until softened. Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer and make it creamy
  1. Stir in butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then add nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes, keeping the sauce at a gentle bubble.
Finish with cheese and pasta water
  1. Add grated parmesan and stir until fully melted and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Toss with pasta and spinach
  1. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, then pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. Add baby spinach and toss until wilted, about 1 minute.
Season and serve
  1. Return the cooked sausage to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss one more time and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: reserve pasta water right before draining so you can adjust the sauce thickness without thinning it too much. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or cream. Freezing is not recommended for the best creamy texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and increase nutmeg slightly to keep the flavor rich.