Recipe to Reality: Rigatoni with Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Italian Sausage

I am a huge butternut squash fan.

I'm also a die-hard pasta lover.

I know that it's only September, and I could have waited a little longer to jump into winter squashes, but since my Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast, featuring butternut squash went over so well with my husband, I decided to continue to change his opinion on this sweet, buttery, squash!

This recipe comes from the February 2012 edition of Food & Wine Magazine. It's a recipe from Emeril Lagasse, but I improvised a bit while cooking.

Here's What You'll Need:

2 butternut squashes -- peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tbs. of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Allspice
About 20 whole sage leaves
3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup of white wine
1 lb. rigatoni
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Put it All Together!

1) Preheat your over to 400 degrees and break down your squash. As I mentioned in my  Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast post, I like to buy the pre-cut butternut squash cubes to bypass the hassle, but alas, the supermarket was out. I used this video by GoodHousekeepingMag via YouTube to help me effectively break down the squash.

2) Put the squash cubes on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbs. of the olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and allspice, bake for 30 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.

3) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the 3 tbs. of butter and add the whole sage leaves for about 2 minutes, turning once, until crispy. Remove the leaves and store on a plate, remove the butter and save in a bowl for later.

4) In the same skillet, add the last tbs. of oil, and the sausage over medium high heat. Break up the sausage as best you can with a wooden spoon while it's cooking until the meat is no longer pink-about 8 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of white wine and let simmer for a few minutes. 

5) Boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Add salt once the water comes to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente, about 14 minutes. Reserve one cup of the cooking water before draining the rest of the pasta.

6) Return the pasta to the empty pot and add the sausage and melted butter while gradually stirring in the cup of reserved starchy water. Next add the squash and 1/4 cup of Parm. Garnish with more cheese and the crispy sage leaves!

We really found this to be a light pasta dish despite the rich flavors of the sausage and squash. 

We have two tupperwares in the fridge for leftovers and can't wait!


Stay Savory,