Recipe: Pasta with Sausage and Butternut Squash

I know I should be posting further stories and pictures of Ava's birthday, but I have to share this first. My friend Lisa made this recipe for a girl's lunch last year and I have waited anxiously for butternut squash to come into season. I picked one up at the Farmer's Market in Utah last weekend in order to make this very dish! So yummy!

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH


12 oz. sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
(I actually used regular pork sausage since I had it on hand and Lisa says you can also use bacon or turkey sausage. If you use turkey make sure to add some extra spices.)

16 oz. corkscrew pasta

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese


In a nonstick 12" skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently with spoon to break up sausage. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl discard all but 2 T. drippings from skillet. Meanwhile, in a large saucepot, prepare pasta in boiling salted water as label directs. To drippings in same skillet add squash, pepper and salt. Cook, covered, over medium heat, about 10 min. or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 c. pasta cooking water. Return pasta to saucepot; toss with sausage, squash, Parmesan, and reserved cooking water.