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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sausage And Spinach

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach coats rigatoni in a smooth orange-hued sauce made with butternut squash puree, heavy cream, and parmesan. Rigatoni is tossed with reserved pasta water for a silky finish, then spinach wilts in the pan and sausage adds savory crumbles.
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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
  

pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water Reserve before draining.
sausage and vegetables
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cup baby spinach
sauce
  • 2 cup butternut squash puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, stirring occasionally. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
Brown the sausage
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage until cooked through and crumbled, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat and set the sausage aside.
Build the creamy sauce
  1. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then add nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to thicken.
  3. Reduce heat to low, then add the grated parmesan and stir until fully melted and smooth. Keep the sauce warm so it stays creamy.
Toss and finish
  1. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to coat and loosen the sauce, then add the baby spinach and cook just until wilted.
  2. Return the browned sausage to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the sauce silky by using the reserved pasta water while tossing, so the parmesan emulsifies instead of clumping. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently with a splash of water or cream. Freezing isn’t ideal because the cream sauce can separate. For a lighter option, replace heavy cream with half-and-half and use an extra spoonful of pasta water to maintain creaminess.