Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Be sure to stabilize your squash on a firm surface. Cut the ends of the squash off with a sharp knife. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the butternut squash's outer skin, leaving only the fleshy inside. Use the sharp knife to cut the squash into two equal pieces. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the squash into 1” squares.
Prepare the Pasta
- Fill the heavy bottom pot ¾ full of water. Add ½ tsp salt and the butternut squash cubes. Bring the squash to a boil and cook it until it is fork-tender. Using the slotted spoon, remove the squash from the water and put it into a food processor. Leave the water the squash was cooked in for the pasta.
- Add 16 ounces of pasta to the boiling squash water and cook it according to the package directions until it is al dente. You may need to add more water to the pot. Drain the pasta once it’s done. Reserve some of the pasta water for the sauce.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Brown 1 pound spicy sauce in the pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any excess fat from the sausage. Remove the sausage from the pan and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, combine ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup of chicken stock in the food processor with the squash. Pulse the sauce until it is creamy and smooth.
- Add 4 cloves minced garlic to the saucepan over medium heat and lightly saute it until it's softened. Reduce the heat to simmer and add the pasta sauce, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper to the saucepan. Stir everything together until the spinach wilts.
- Combine the sausage and cooked pasta with the sauce in the pan. Stir it until the pasta is coated with the sauce. You may need to add 1 cup of the pasta water at a time to get the sauce to the correct consistency.
- Let the pasta simmer on low heat for around 3 minutes. Top it with ⅓ cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese and serve it with crusty sourdough bread.
Notes
You can omit the added red pepper flakes depending on how spicy your sausage is. We raise our own pastured pork, so our hot sausage is pretty spicy. You can decide how much heat you like.
If you want an added depth of flavor, roast the butternut squash instead of boiling it. Prepare the squash the same way. Coat the cubes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet at 400° F until they are caramelized. Transfer the roasted squash to the food processor and continue following the recipe as it’s written.
Add fresh herbs. I love adding fresh herbs when I have some available. Fresh sage and fresh parsley are delicious when sprinkled on top of this dish.