This one pot sausage and peppers butternut squash pasta is a delicious, easy and nourishing comfort food meal!
First published February 2015
After my cauliflower Alfredo sauce this creamy butternut squash pasta recipe is another pasta dish with a vegetable based sauce (that isn't tomato). This recipe is loosely inspired by this healthy mac and cheese from Lindsay, but the method and final dish are quite different.
I wanted to make this meal in just one big skillet - no need for a bunch of different pots and pans and no blender. (Yup, dishes are my nemesis these days.)
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Smoked sausage -sliced
- Bell pepper - deseeded and sliced
- Butter
- Onion - chopped
- Garlic cloves - minced
- Butternut squash - diced into small pieces so they can basically dissolve into a butternut squash pasta sauce while cooking
- Boiling water
- Pasta - I like linguine here. Any kind from regular, to whole wheat, or gluten-free pasta works
- Fresh parsley - chopped
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cheese - grated
See recipe box for details.
Instructions
1. In a large skillet/Dutch oven brown the sliced sausage on high. Add sliced bell pepper and stir fry until softened. Remove sausage and peppers from skillet/pot, set aside.
2. Add butter, onion, garlic, and butternut squash. Slow cook covered until onion is caramelized and squash is softened.
3. Add hot water, pasta, and parsley to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then cook on medium heat, stirring often.
4. Once pasta is al dente, stir sausage and peppers back in. Sprinkle with cheese, cover until cheese is melted. Stir to mix in the cheese and serve.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
Most one pot pasta dishes are best enjoyed right away. If you end up with leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. When reheating leftovers (microwave or stovetop), add a little water to reconstitute the creamy consistency.
FAQs
Butternut squash pairs well with flavors such as sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. It also complements savory ingredients like garlic, onions, and bacon.
Butternut squash ravioli can be accompanied by a variety of sauces, including brown butter and sage, creamy Alfredo, or a light tomato sauce. It can also be served with roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
The best way to prepare butternut squash is by roasting, as it enhances its natural sweetness and brings out a rich, caramelized flavor. When you roast butternut squash, it can also be used in soups, stews, or as a side dish.
Butternut squash has a sweet and nutty flavor with a subtle earthy undertone. When cooked, its texture becomes smooth and creamy, making it a versatile ingredient for various dishes like this butternut squash sauce, or this butternut squash soup.
Related
Here are more pasta recipes like this one, that you will love:
Recipe
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces smoked sausage I use Farmer's style, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups butternut squash (~12 ounces) small diced
- 4 cups boiling water
- 8 ounces linguine pasta any kind, whole wheat, gf, low GI
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley chopped
- salt + pepper
- ½ cup grated cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Brown the sliced sausage on high while stirring occasionally. Add sliced bell pepper and stir fry for a few more minutes until softened. Remove sausage and pepper from skillet and set aside.
- Turn heat to medium-low and melt butter in the skillet. Add onion, garlic and butternut squash and cover. Slow cook until the onion is caramelized and squash has softened (about 20 minutes).
- Add hot water, pasta, and parsley to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then turn to medium heat and cook pasta uncovered, while stirring often to keep pasta from sticking together. This will also break down and blend in the squash pieces to create a creamy sauce.
- Once pasta is al dente (about 10-12 minutes) turn off heat and stir sausage and peppers back into the skillet. Sprinkle with cheese and cover for a few minutes until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
- Stir to mix in the cheese and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Skillet recipe for later?
Jean
I tried this today with leftover squash and leftover barbequed chicken. Excellent! I am however, still fascinated with the thought of using spiralized squash noodles.
Regina
Hi Jean, I like the idea of butternut squash noodles instead of pasta. But I assume they really don't need much cooking, so should probably only be added at the very end.
Jean
Have you thought about making this with spiralized butternut squash. Not sure how that might work out in your creamy sauce, but would lower the carbs a lot.
bcr8tive
Hi Regina,
This looks yummy but I have to question cooking the pasta as you do with cold water and directly in with the squash.
That works out ok for rice but for pasta, I would think it would get very mushy and very over starched.
According to the pasta experts (and most of all of the Old Italians I knew) there is only one way to make pasta properly - in a lot of water, at least 4 times the amount of pasta, with salt in the water, and no oil. If you want to cook it al dente, or perhaps slightly under cooked to add to a dish like this that you're going to continue cooking, then perhaps you could do that, drain it and THEN add it to the dish?
Regina
Hey, yes I usually cook pasta separately, too. I was intrigued with the idea of a one-pot pasta dish, though. I realize, this isn't authentically Italian by any means, but it's a great way to minimize dishes 😉
In this case the pasta's starch works great to create a creamy sauce together with the butternut squash.
I will check out your recipe links as well.