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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sausage And Spinach

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach coats rigatoni or penne in a smooth, orange-cream sauce made by simmering squash puree with heavy cream and parmesan. Italian sausage and wilted baby spinach fold in at the end for rich flavor and tender texture.
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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: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
Baby spinach
  • 4 cup baby spinach
Aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Butternut squash and cream sauce
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Seasoning
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta and sausage
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the rigatoni or penne until al dente, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining (about 8–12 minutes depending on shape).
  2. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, then drain the excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Build the creamy squash sauce
  1. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion over medium heat for 4 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then add the nutmeg and red pepper flakes and mix well.
  4. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, then add the grated parmesan and stir until smooth.
Combine and finish
  1. Toss the drained pasta into the sauce along with the reserved 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
  2. Add the baby spinach and toss for 1–2 minutes until wilted.
  3. Return the browned sausage to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste, then toss once more to coat evenly.

Notes

For a silky sauce, keep stirring while the parmesan melts and avoid boiling hard after it’s added. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of milk or pasta water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because cream-based sauces can separate when thawed. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and add an extra spoonful of pasta water to maintain the creamy texture.