Butternut Squash With Penne and Sausage

Photo Credit
Becky Luigart-Stayner
Yield
Makes 4 servings.
Category
Course
Print Friendly and PDF

Go all in for butternut squash! This pasta dish with squash, sausage, and penne is the perfect fall or winter dinner—delicious seasonal comfort food.

We gave it third prize in our Old Farmer’s Almanac 2017 Garden Guide Recipe Contest. Thank you to Sue Fine from Reisterstown, Maryland!

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups penne pasta
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground sausage meat
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage (or 2 tablespoons dry rubbed)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Boil penne pasta per package directions, until just tender. Set aside in water.

In a fry pan, brown sausage and onion, and garlic. Drain and return fat to pan. Transfer sausage to large bowl. 

Add olive oil to fry pan and sauté squash until edges are brown. Add squash to sausage. 

Drain pasta. Add to sausage and squash. Add sage, rosemary, cinnamon, red pepper flakes. Toss lightly to mix.

Pour vinegar and Worcestershire in fry pan, heat on low to medium and scrape to deglaze. Add liquid and bits to sausage mixture. Toss lightly.

Transfer to a large casserole. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is browned and squash is tender. (To retain moisture, bake with lid on casserole.)

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann