Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach
Pasta in a decadent creamy, homemade, butternut squash pasta sauce, with no cream! The spicy chicken sausage and sage is the perfect compliment, this pasta dish is filling and comforting on a chilly night.
We also love this meatless Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Sauce, which inspired this recipe. And with the addition of shaved Parmesan and spicy chicken sausage, the end result is savory and delicious.
This oldie is perfect for the change of seasons, I just added video to the recipe!
How To Make Pasta with Butternut Sauce
Butternut squash makes the creamiest sauce, which makes it a healthy, lighter alternative to cream sauces made with heavy cream and butter. It’s also easy to do! To make it quick, buy pre-cut or frozen butternut squash. You can double the sauce recipe and freeze it for another day!
More Pasta Recipe You May Enjoy:
- Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
- Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Escarole
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side
- Penne with Brussels Sprouts Ragu
Pasta with Butternut Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach
Pasta in a decadent creamy, homemade, butternut squash pasta sauce, with no cream! The spicy chicken sausage and sage is the perfect compliment, this pasta dish is filling and comforting on a chilly night.
Ingredients
- 11 oz 4 links spicy chicken Italian sausage
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp whipped butter
- 10 oz pasta, wheat or gluten-free
- 1/4 cup shallots, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
- 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.
- Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.
- Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes.
- Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking.
- Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage. Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.
- Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 11/4 cups, Calories: 362kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 419mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g
Blue Smart Points: 9
Green Smart Points: 9
Purple Smart Points: 9
Points +: 9
Keywords: butternut squash pasta sauce, butternut squash pasta sauce recipes, butternut squash sauce, pasta with butternut squash
I was gifted a massive butternut squash from a friend’s backyard garden, and I used it in this recipe. This turned out so much better than I expected. It was delicious! And I’m so happy I have plenty of puree on hand to make again in the near future!
I absolutely love this recipe but curious if anyone has any substitutions for the pasta? I have no self control when it comes to pasta – the sauce seems too heavy for a zoodle but maybe I am wrong?
Wow! After a long week of virtual schooling with my 3 elementary school kids, I decided to make some comfort food. This recipe totally hit the spot. All the kids loved it as well and I felt like a superhero for the healthy and delicious dinner we ate. I followed this the next night with your paella and even my husband now recognizes my superhero powers. Thanks again for more excellent recipes!
That’s awesome!!! 🙂
SERIOUSLY a new favorite meal!! I paired it with roasted asparagus!! I need to hurry and invite dinner guests so that I can make it again soon!! 😂
SERIOUSLY a new favorite meal!! I paired it with roasted asparagus!! I need to hurry and invite dinner guests so that I can make it again soon!! 😂
I did however forget to hold back one cup of squash/noodle water so I used 1 cup of chicken broth and it was amazing!!
Help, planned on making this tonight, but living in a small town with only Albertsons and walmart, I can not find spicey chicken sausage.
Is their a recipe to make spicey sausage from ground chicken?
All I can find is Johnsonville spicey italian sausage
I’ve made this recipe with spicy turkey sausage. Also made it with spicy pork sausage. It was delicious, but the point value went up significantly.
Can I substitute ground sage for the sage leaves since i can’t seem to find any right now?
Can anyone tell me if there is a widely available brand of spicy chicken sausage that can be purchased in most grocery stores? Thanks!
Whole Foods housemade spicy Italian chicken sausage is AMAZING. I truly think it’s better than the pork version. I use it all the time 🙂
Second time I’ve made this with the same results. No left overs!
I use olive oil instead of butter and brown rice pasta in place of regular as I’m trying to not eat gluten. Last time I roasted spaghetti squash for myself and made regular pasta for my family.
Seriously so easy and delicious….and I’m getting veggies into a 14yr old who would prefer to live on junk food!
Delicious! I added a little balsamic.
At what point did you add the balsamic?
This was amazing! My husband put it in his top 5 dishes I make, and asked that it be in the regular rotation. Delicious and pretty easy to put together!
I have made this multiple times with spaghetti squash instead of pasta and I loved it. Made with pasta tonight, 10 oz of pasta is WAY too much. Really ruined the dish, no where near enough sauce. Cut the pasta in half.
I’m new to the Instand Pot and was wondering if this recipe is doable in the Instant Pot?
Thanks
Really good! A nice comforting fall dish.
Made as written.
Delicious!!
I’m wondering if I did something wrong. What should the final consistency be like? My “sauce” was piecey and not very saucy. I’m wondering if I didn’t blend the squash enough. When the squash is blended, how “liquidy” should it be?
That’s what happened to me. I m pretty sure I didn’t blend it enough. Maybe the pasta water in the blender.
Amazing and my family loved it and will definitely make again!
I mistakenly thought this recipe would be kind of bland with so much squash in ratio to the herbs and spices but I was wrong. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! I’ve made lots of your recipes over the years, Gina, and they’re always spot on. Thank you for another winner!
This was delicious! I oven roasted the squash in halves and scooped it out of it’s skin so I didn’t have to chop it. It was creamy and mac & cheese like in consistency. I will definitely make this again.
I licked my plate!
This was unbelievable! First time trying your recipes and I will definitely be trying more xo
This was hands down the best pasta recipe I’ve ever tried anywhere. I will admit, we used regular hot sausage because that’s what we had and we also roasted the butternut squash before pureeing with some pasta water, and it came out incredible… Honestly, I don’t even need the sausage. The sauce with the spinach is all you need. I’ll definitely be trying this again, and perhaps trying with beyond meat sausage instead. I also seldom cook with sage, but it was so perfect in this recipe. It’s added to the regular rotation now.
This was delicious!
Hi! I made this last year and was obsessed. I have left over pumpkin puree from another recipe, could I use it to substitute the squash?
This recipe was delicious!!!
First time I’ve commented. I made this tonight and omitted the butter and parm but added a few tbs gorgonzola crumbles and hot water to the butternut in the blender, made the rest of the recipe as written and it was totally outstanding. Love your recipes Gina!
Thanks Alyssa!
Could you used canned pureed pumpkin instead of butternut squash?
I made this tonight in the instant pot just wanted to share it was adapted from your instant pot spaghetti recipe. Browned the sausage in ghee. Added shallots and garlic. Added one jar butternut squash pasta sauce, brown rice pasta, 2 cups water. Instant pot pressure for 9 minutes quick release. Added the spinach, sage, and parm cheese. It was really good! Thank you!
Followed this recipe exactly and it is AMAZING!! Even my husband loved it wanted the leftovers and he is not a fan of butternut squash. Will definitely be making this again! I have not made anything from Skinnytaste so far that has not been out of this world!
What I would do to retain all the vitamins from the squash, is to steam them, and mash the up with a potato masher. I hate to clean, so this is the best option. I omitted the butter, and used only EV olive oil. Follow recipe accordingly. and you’ll have an amazing dish. Oh my goodness…… Soooooo good. Bon Appetit.
~ Shazza
I made this tonight for dinner and even my boyfriend who hates squash tried it and said he liked it. This recipe is a keeper!
I agree. So easy. Squash is so good. I m glad he likes it. My next one is to use sweet potatoes, hope it will be just as tasty,
I made this recipe last night and it was DELICIOUS! My husband loved it too. I will say I added more than just 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the butternut squash. I also had the wrong type of sausage 🙁 but it was still really good!! Love all SkinnyTaste’s recipes! 🙂
Great recipe, Gina! Thank you for sharing.
This has to be one of my absolute favorite recipes. The sauce is so simple and seriously AMAZING. I used Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi instead of pasta the last time I made it and wow – it may have been even better than the original!.
Ooooh … l have Trader Joe’s kale and cauliflower gnocchi in my freezer, l may have to try that!
Is there any way to convert this to a pressure cooker recipe?
Do you remove the sausage casing before or after cooking it?
Before!
OMG I love the butternut squash sauce!! I always double it cause I want MORE!! Yummy
Could this be made with frozen spinach?
I made this the other night for dinner and couldn’t believe how good it was. I loved the butternut squash in it. I will certainly be making this again!
I made this for dinner tonight and I can’t believe how delicious it is. I will definitely be making this again!
I made this yesterday and loved it! When I went to log it in MyFitnessPal, the calories came up 628 instead of 362. Any idea what went wrong? I made sure all the ingredients match.
Hi Rachael, sometimes this is tricky. I went ahead and checked this and I got the correct values, but it is easy to get wrong ones. Here are some tips:
1. When using my fitness pal, make sure to plug a whole number for the servings value (ie. 1,2,3 etc) and not a decimal (0.25, 0.5 etc). From my user experience, sometimes it will be recognized as a whole number (0.25 servings of a cup will show up 25 servings of a cup). You will have to adjust your unit of measurement accordingly.
2. I prefer using Spark Recipes Nutrition Calculator instead as it does not have this issue. This is what I use.
3. Plug in the values of brands rather then using other peoples values.
Hope this helps.
I made this the other night and I thought it didn’t have much flavor I was very disappointed. This is the first skinnytaste recipe that did not impress me.But my husband thought it was good !
Made this tonight. Quick and easy. Accidentally got frozen sweet potato instead of butternut squash. Made it with that instead added a little cream to thin it out and it came out great! Even my toddler ate it!
Great!
I just got the 3rd cookbook and my husband has marked up most of the recipes to try. This was our first one and we all loved it. Easy directions and didnt take long. As always lover your recipes and cookbooks.
The flavors were awesome!! The only complaint was that it seemed very pasta heavy. I could definitely double the veggies and half the pasta! (I usually think the opposite!)
This has become a staple in our house. So easy and so delicious! You don’t miss the cream at all – in fact the pumpkin gives it that much more depth.
This was a pretty quick and easy dinner. We used sweet Italian instead of spicy sausage since our kiddo doesn’t care for spicy food. I forgot that it called for butter and accidentally used evoo instead. We didn’t have shallots handy so we used onion. And we used penne for the pasta. Oh and I used some mixed dry herbs in place of the sage. Considering I didn’t follow this recipe very closely, it came out very tasty. That’s what I love about your recipes. It’s so easy to adjust them as needed and still have a fabulous dinner. It was a cozy meal on a warm day and looked very fancy for something so easy.
Quick, easy, comforting. This has been popping up as one of my go to weeknight meals. The whole family loves it.
Just made this for the first time and it is delicious! Perfectly creamy and decadent but with hidden veggies. Will be making a lot!
Wonderful. Made it as directed and using farfelle pasta. Pre-cubed fresh butternut squash. No pumpkin taste, although that would not necessarily be a bad thing. A keeper!
Really good! This recipient is a keeper. I’d increase butternut squash sause up to double next time I make it.
This was BAD. I love butternut squash, I love sausage and spinach and pasta, but somehow the whole thing tasted awful to me. It was too pumpkin gut smelling, and I loathe that smell. My kids liked it enough, but I threw out my portion and the remainder.
Sorry you didn’t like it, glad the kids did! There is no pumpkin in the recipe, did you make it as directed?
🙄
I made this a week ago, I loved it! This will be on my lunch/dinner rotation! I just bought One and Done!
Gina if I could rate this a 10, wait I am rating this a 10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I never would have thought squash would be good as a sauce. My adult son had 2 bowls as well as the hubby.
There’s enough left for my lunch tomorrow lol.
Def will keep this recipe in the rotation.
Thank you!!!
Kim
Made this last night. It was delicious! I used pre-diced butternut squash and made enough to freeze the other half for another night!
Devouring this for dinner tonight! I used ground chicken to make my own sausage, because I like how it crumbles. So tasty and easy. It was even a hit with my picky children.
Delicious! Made it for the second time tonight. This time I used al fresco spinach and feta chicken sausage and liked the flavor combination better than the Italian. Thanks for your healthy recipes, Gina!
Has anyone tried this with maple chicken sausage? Hoping it will not be too sweet!!
Can leftovers be frozen????
do you mean hot sausage could not find any spicy sausage
This recipe was great, thanks Gina! I also added broccoli in when boiling the pasta to get some extra veggies. I couldn’t find saje, so just added a little bit of poultry seasoning when I was cooking up the onions and garlic. Delicious!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was super easy and delicious! I will definitely make it again. I used chicken sausage instead and it tasted great. Also, to reduce cook times on recipes, I keep cook shredded squash in my freezer.
Looks so good! Does anyone know how to convert the ingredient amount so that I cqn serve for 8 people?
This dish was outstanding! Instead of spinach I used Kale, it was delicious!
Absolutely delicious
This is divine! It tastes so sinful, that it’s hard to believe there is hardly any fat and no cream in this dish. I think I could polish off the entire pan by myself! (I won’t, though, because I need leftovers for lunch)
About how long do you boil the butternut squash?
Has anyone used the Trader Joe’s canned butternut squash purée?. If so, how much? Looking online, it seems that 1cup purée equates to a pound of butternut squash. Does that seem correct.?
I know this is an older comment, but in case it helps anyone else reading through… this is what I typically use for this recipe and it works out great. I always use the entire can, I wouldn’t recommend using less. It seems to be just enough. My thinking was that a 16 oz can should be similar to 1 lb of cubed squash.
Just made this and loved it! Even my husband and daughter who aren’t butternut squash fans ate it! Another fab Skinnytaste recipe. 🙂
I’ve been having a lot of trouble figuring out a healthy food routine and at the recommendation of an avid Skinnytaste fan, I made this dish, Gina, and it was SO amazing, I ordered the Fast and Slow cookbook! I took the suggestion to use frozen puréed squash and it came out perfectly! Thanks so much for making it easy and delicious to eat well. I can’t wait to make more recipes!!
Thanks Debbie! Glad you enjoyed it!
What is the pasta called that is used in this recipe?
Casarecce pasta.
Every now and then I decide to make something outside of our “comfort zone” and butternut squash is definitely one of those things. Given the great reviews I decided this would be a good candidate for trying something new, and I’m sure glad I did! It was great! The mix of the spice from the sausage and the sweet of the squash worked so well together. And, the leftovers I had for lunch the next day might have even been better than the original meal. Not only is this so good to eat, it’s pretty when you serve it; this one is a keeper for sure!
Thank you Gina for all the you do; I love to cook and your site & cookbooks (the newest one is already on my Christmas list!) always provide great inspiration!
I’m so happy to hear!
This recipe was killer. If I didn’t have to feed my family, I would’ve eaten it all myself. DELICIOUS.
I’ve made this twice, the first time with butternut squash and the second with canned pumpkin (I couldn’t find squash the second time). It’s not bad with the pumpkin, but definitely much better with the squash! Definitely recommend this for a perfect fall meal. Love all your recipes!
I made this for my hubby and my youngest who hates veggies tonight. OMG. This was awesome. I will so be making this again.
A little bit of work but so worth it!
Has anyone made this and put in crock pot to serve during a game day?
O.M.G.!!!!!! This was totally amazing!!! I couldn’t stop eating it. I couldn’t find chicken sausage so I used turkey and it was awesome.
This was easy to make, tasted delicious and all the family loved it.
I added reduced fat mozzarella and melted under the grill.
This looked so good! I substituted Costco Hot Italian beef sausages, knowing that they would add to the points, but that was what I had in the freezer. Not a good idea! It was definitely not a keeper! Can’t describe the reason why, but the taste of the ingredients just didn’t blend together well. Will maybe try it again with the proper sausage meat next time.
I want to sub the pasta for spag squash…..Do you know what the points would be without the pasta? BTW I LOVE ALL OF YOUR RECIPES!
Haven’t tried it yet, but plane to use acorn squash instead. Maple pecan banana muffins were a BIG hit with my husband. I’m not a real fan of bananas in bakery so I used acorn squash instead. A hit for me. I make a casserole with acorn squash, apple, brown sugar and butter for the holidays. Keep up the great recipes, Dieters on HealthyWage are fans of you too.
I want to try this, but I have a question about the sage leaves. Are they dried or fresh? If I can’t get fresh, what equivalent of dried sage should be used? Thanks!
fresh is best
Can I use canned butternut squash puree? If yes, can I use the whole can (15oz)?
I liked it, but not approved by husband and toddler. I will try it again, but maybe add a little heavy cream to make the flavor richer. Also, maybe frying the sage with the shallots with the butter.
This was so good! New family fav.
Great!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I made a couple of minor changes: I used mild Italian sausage and I added some radish greens I had on hand to the spinach. I also used a food processor to puree the squash; my blender wasn’t up to the task. The squash produced a really light and creamy sauce without using any cream which I loved. I would never have thought to use squash in place of cream but it really worked well. My husband and I are both looking forward to the leftovers tonight. Great recipe.
Thanks June!
I made this last night and it was terrific – husband loved it – my local grocer makes their own chicken sausage – which is basically boneless, skinless chicken breasts with sausage spices. Husband devoured it
Awesome way to get the family to eat butternut squash! Even I don’t enjoy the vegetable but always willing to try a Gina recipe. While family lived it, my supper picky 2 year old ate 3 plates full.
This pasta dish is delicious. I used butternut squash that I had roasted in the oven. I was a hit!
Can you make the sauce ahead and freeze it prior to assembling the dish?
I loved this! Sage and butternut squash go so well together. I used mild chicken sausage and thought it was awesome. It reheated very well for lunch the next day.
Wonderful recipe. Do you think this would freeze well as a complete meal? I would like to send this with my daughter to college to keep in her freezer. Would you alter it in any way in order to freeze and reheat? Thanks!
I’m wondering the same – anyone have any experience freezing the whole meal?
Would using the pastas made with cauliflower and kale work for this?
about how much salt do you put in boiling water?
About a teaspoon.
I loved this recipe, however, sister and husband did not. Said to put it on the make every 6 weeks list. I loved the idea of butternut squash as a sauce. Husband didn’t like the spice and pasta, sister didn’t like the combo. Because I liked it I’m giving it a 5. Since it is my food plan and I made it.
How could I prepare this as a make ahead casserole? Any tips?
I don’t have sage on hand. Is there another herb I could use in its place?
My grocery store ran out of sage, so I used some dried rosemary that I had. Added it a little earlier so it would cook a bit. I think I liked it better that way.
Just finished making this dish….and WOW! Love the flavor combination. If you prep everything in advance, it comes together very quickly. I used Banza (chickpea pasta) and added just a pinch of cinnamon. Thank you for the recipe!
Gina,
This was so good that we intend to serve it to company in the near future. This is a keeper!
Will it have enough flavor if I omit the sausage? I’m vegetarian. Thanks!
I would use my other recipe https://www.skinnytaste.com/spaghetti-with-creamy-butternut-leek/
I made this for dinner for my husband and I. Very delicious! Great fall recipe. I love using butternut squash this time of year. I didn’t end up adding the butter to cook the shallots and instead used the fat from the meat. Will make again 🙂 Highly recommend
I was really really excited about it but the flavors were just not there for me. I also needed a lot more water to thin out the butternut squash “sauce”. My son (6) liked it and ate his whole plate but my husband didn’t like it at all – I was in between. Gina – I really like a lot of your recipes. I especially love your zesty lime shrimp and avocado salad (YUM!) as well as your chickpea sweet potato stew.
Perfect for this first day of Autumn! Loved it.
What kind of pasta did you use in your photo? Is there a difference between wheat and whole grain pasta? Thanks!
Made It for supper. It was good but next time I will add more seasoning, it seemed rather bland. even though the sausage had good flavor it didn’t transfer to sauce. But I will try it again, maybe I will use zoodles to cut the carbs.
What a wonderful recipe! I had no idea you could make such a purposeful sauce with butternut squash. The dish also looks so lovely plated. Thanks Gina. 🙂
We loved this recipe. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the sauce, but it was delicious! It has made it into our regular rotation.
Wondering why whipped butter as opposed to olive oil?
Oil would work too, use less
I wasn’t a fan of this. I love the butternut squash lasagna roll ups so I thought this might be similar. The sage flavour got lost and I didn’t want to add too much water because the flavour was already a bit low, bit then it came out pasty. Not my fave. 🙁
This is one of my fall favorites. Thanks for reminding me… on next week’s menu!
Yum, again.
What type of pasta did you use?
I’ve making a variation of this recipe for years after finding it on your blog! We love it in our house. This week we used cauliflower gnocchi and ground turkey this week, it was amazing!
This looks amazing! I’m putting it on next week’s menu. Thanks.
Is there a reason you use whipped butter? Could I just use regular butter for me points value?
Sure, you would have to use less butter
Gina! The butternut squash sauce is brilliant! Perfect way to slip in more nutrition and less fat! Some of your comments referred to ways to avoid peeling and cutting the squash with its tough, hard peel. I cut it in half, remove the seeds, and roast it. When done I scoop out the tender flesh and proceed. Personally, I think it then tastes better than boiled or frozen squash. It was a little drier and I dribbled in broth (veggie or chicken) which I always have on hand. Just sayin’. :>)
As some one already commented, when do you use the sage? Also , the title mentions LEEk, but there is no leek in the recipe. There is shallot. But shallot is NOT leek. Could you clarify?
This recipe does not have leeks, however I have a similar recipe with added leeks mentioned in the post where you can click the link. As for the sage, it is mentioned in step 7, add with the parmesan cheese. Hope this helps.
Can you freeze the butternut squash “sauce” and use it later with pasta or zoodles?
Sure!
awww Gina – I was trying to follow this weeks meal plan!!! This looks too YUMMY!!!! However, last night I made the baked broccoli mac and cheese and my son loved it soooo much – I only had enough left for lunch today. I may have to make this to get me through. 🙂
Can I use frozen butternut squash in this dish??
Yes
I see sage in the ingredients list, but not in the recipe? Is it just used as a topping? Thanks!
See #7 in the instructions – you add the spinach, Parmesan, and sage then toss in the cooked pasta and sausage. Hope this helps!
You add the sage the same time that you add the spinach and Parm. I saw it in the instructions.
See step no. 7 for use of sage.
Delicious! I roasted the squash rather than boiling it (roasted to soften, then split in half and roasted until it was soft. Removed the seeds and the skin and then pureed). Followed the rest of the recipe except used a sweet onion rather than shallot, cause that’s what I had on hand. Butternut squash was from the garden :^)
This was yummy, will make again.
Thanks Gina!
This was outstanding. I’ve never been a fan of butternut squash so I was worried about the sauce tasting like squash but it just picked up the flavour of everything else. It was such a creamy sauce and reheated really well. This is now on permanent rotation in hour house. Hubby said that this meal was ‘restaurant quality’. Thanks Gina!
awesome!
This was a perfect winter pasta dish. It satisfied the need for comfort food without the guilt. The flavors blended well together and the recipe was easy to follow. I had some pureed butternut squash in the freezer, so I was able to make this a bit faster. Great recipe and thank you for sharing it!
Do you mean 10 oz in weight or 10 oz in volume for the pasta. I hate that we use ounces for both. I’m guessing weight since it’s a dry good.
weight
I have made so many recipes from your site Gina and have not once been disappointed. I was a bit skeptical before putting it all together but it was delicious! My husband loved it too, much to my surprise. I made the sauce as the recipe says but doubled it hoping that it was as tasty as the reviews say (I thin you can tell that it was) but served it over Zoodles instead of pasta to make it more diabetic friendly. Awesome. This is a keeper for sure. I love your site Gina, especially the key.
Thanks Jess!
My easy way to cook butternut squash is to cook whole in the slow cooker, here’s how…Place whole squash in slow cooker and cook until soft and easily pierced, about 4 – 5 hours on high or 6 – 8 hours on low.
When cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out seeds. So easy no more cutting hard squash.
I wanted to substitute the squash, with the organic canned version. Do you think 1, 15 oz can, would be the same as 1 lb? Thanks!
OK – made this yesterday – was really excited about it because it “healthifies” pasta. But, it was so pasty…I added a little more than a cup of water to make the squash a little more liquid-y, but it still didn’t work – the pasta was slightly al-dente, but it still soaked up any liquid which made the squash like glue. I wasn’t happy with this and probably wouldn’t make it again. It was tasty – the flavors combined really well – it was just to dry and pasty. Sorry – maybe next time 🙁
I loved this recipe, I will be making it regularly. I have had to cut all diary out of my diet due to a milk allergy, eating this made me feel like I was eating an gourmet mac and cheese! I loved the velvety texture that the butternut squash gave.
Thank you!!!
You’re welcome Darcy!
I just bought an instant pot! Have you tried making the sauce with the instant pot or do you have any pointers for an instant pot newbe?
Lisa, I don’t think this whole meal can be made in the Instant Pot, given the way it’s prepared. However, I did the squash in my instant pot, then pureed it after cooking. I pre-cooked and pureed it so that it would be a quicker dish later in the week. You could also do the pasta in your instant pot if you prefer, but the dish as a whole really would work best stove top in my opinion. I hope you try it, it’s delish!
Can I sub the cheese for a soy alternative ?
Could any part of this be made ahead? Looks delish!!!!
Making this tonight for dinner – you remove the sausage from the casings, right?
yes
Can I use baby kale instead of spinach?
Sure.
Another gem of a recipe. Thank you Gina for all your outstanding recipes!!! No-one make healthy eating taste better 🙂
My pleasure!
Hi Gina, I discovered your blog quite awhile ago because my husband and I were both on WW. I have made a lot of your recipes, but today is the first day I’ve commented on any of them. I made this a couple days ago and to my surprise, I really liked it. I only say it like that because I don’t like squash! Or so I thought. I picked this recipe because I knew that my husband would like it, but we both enjoyed it. I cooked some extra butternut squash that I didn’t purée and tossed that in with the pasta. I couldn’t find the sausage so I used ground chicken and spiced it up.
Now I’m off to prep for eggplant rollatini…and I don’t like eggplant either! 😉
We eat lean and my husband does not like spicy So I replaced the sausage with chicken and added lactose free milk to thin down the sauce. Delicious. Thanks for idea.
What kind of pasta do you use in that picture? Looks delish!
casarecce pasta
What brand of spicy chicken sausage do you get?
I like Premio or Al Fresco.
So delicious!!! I had to add water in order to get the squash to blend, but it turned out excellent! Thanks Gina for another keeper!
If you don’t care for chicken sausage, could you substitute with either turkey or pork sausage instead?
Sure.
Could I use frozen butternut squash puree to make this instead?
Yes! I used it when I made this last night and dish was delicious!
Any suggestions on how to make this without dairy?
Nutritional yeast instead of the Parmesan?
I need to do the same with my son – I would just use Earth Balance in place of the butter – and leave the parmesan out, but as a topping for those of us that can eat it 🙂
Could I use canned pumpkin instead of blended butternut squash?
I haven’t tried, let me know if you do!
Canned pumpkin often IS butternut squash, so I would assume so.
Where can you get the spicy chicken Italian sausage? I live in Minnesota and just recently couldn’t find chicken chorizo anywhere.
I couldn’t find it either so I just sub spicy Italian turkey sausage and that works great. I find it right alongside the packaged ground turkey at the store.
I am in St Cloud MN and we have a Fresh Thyme here that makes their own Chicken Sausage. They have spicy in different flavors like Spicy Parmesan (my favorite) and Spicy (Hot) Italian (great for spaghetti). It goes on sale pretty regular for $1.99/lb. They have it in bulk and in sausage casing.
Trader Joe’s has both.
This looks great as do all your recipes! However, I am scared of butternut squash! I’ve only worked with it one other time but it was challenging to say the least. Any tips?
Take a look at this https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-tip-for-cutting-and-peeling-winter/
I can usually find it already prepped…peeled and cubed at my grocery. Super convenient!
To keep things easy, I buy frozen pureed butternut squash. Heat it up in the microwave as directed and then add to whatever recipe. It worked perfectly for this dish!! And it means I don’t have to take out my blender or food processor. Made this recipe last night and have already added to my favorites!!
Very helpful advice. Thanks!
thanks for that very useful tip on frozen pureed squash!!
timesaver for sure
Kim
Does this pasta dish reheat well? I am trying to make things that my husband can take for lunches as well as for dinner and want things that will be just as good the next day. Thanks!
I think it reheats great, I make it all the time for lunches!
Yes it does! Made it on Friday night for dinner and had the leftovers on Saturday and it was great
I made this last night and wow – what a hit! My Italian BF kept going back for more of the sauce because it was “so delicious.” He even called it gourmet! This is definitely going to be making lots of appearances in my house. I’ve followed your site for years, but this is the first recipe I’ve tried and I. Have. No. Idea. What took me so long. Thank you!
Lol, thank you Karin! 🙂
Jut tried this tonight. It was AMAZING. The only chicken sausage I could find was a jalapeño chicken sausage from the meat counter at the grocery store. Proved to be just a little TOO spicy for my bf, but I liked it. Will probably try it with a more mild sausage or grilled chicken next time. I wish I had added more spinach as well. I also added just a touch of cream to the sauce along with some water to thin it out and make it smoother.
The sauce itself is what really made this. Soo much flavor and such a nice creamy texture. After trying it I can think of a million things to mix into it!
Made this tonight. My husband, aka the pickiest eater in the world, LOVED it. This is definitely going to be kept in our rotation. SO good!
Awesome!
This was delicious! We forgot to buy shallots so we used a bit of diced onion and we had some spicy italian ground pork sausage from the farm. So yummy!. Probably not quite as healthy although most of the meat we get from them tends to be lean. Will be making this again!
Just made this for lunch and it was a big success! I used al fresco smoky andouille sausage and it provided a nice kick. Just two of us, so there will be a few yummy meals of leftovers. Thanks so much for all you do. I have both of your cookbooks and your meal planner. I recommend them to anyone who will listen to me! Thanks so much, Gina!
Made this for lunch today and it’s delicious. Couldn’t find spicey chicken sausages so got the mild turkey and added in some hot pepper flakes. I used quite a bit more pasta water than 1 cup to thin it out but it looks just like yours now and we both loved it. Thanks for a great recipe for pasta that I never would have thought of using squash as the sauce.
I made this with turkey Italian sausage instead of chicken because the store didn’t have any. This recipe is so easy and delicious! I love it!
I have made at least 50 recipes from this site and the butternut squash sauce is by far my favorite. I always double or triple the recipe and usually add a bit more garlic and season to taste..but it is so so good! The lasagna rolls are awesome too!
Thank you!!
This pasta was AMAZING! Tasted like it came from a restaurant! I love all of your recipes but this was our favorite by far.
Great!
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WOW! I made this for dinner last night and was blown away! It is by far one of my favorite SkinnyTaste recipes. Thank you for creating such delicious and healthy recipes Gina!
Thanks! 🙂
Forgive me if this was mentioned somewhere in the post, but what kind of pasta did you use Gina?
Sorry, it’s an older recipe and I don’t remember! You can use any pasta you like!
We bought some Barilla Casarecce pasta off of Amazon- tastes just like the original recipe. Didn’t compare points, but loved the shape of Caserecce with this recipe- other pastas just weren’t the same! We love all of the Skinnytaste recipes- both online and from the cookbooks!
Pretty tasty. When sautéing onion and garlic I’ll add some quartered cremini mushrooms. HH liked a lot!
This was okay. My butternut squash didn’t have a lot of flavor. I think it would have been better roasted but then again would have taken twice as long to make
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Hi, could you tell me the name of the pasta noodles that were used in this recipe? Thank you!
We bought some Barilla Casarecce pasta off of Amazon- tastes just like the original recipe. Didn’t compare points, but loved the shape of Caserecce with this recipe- other pastas just weren’t the same! We love all of the Skinnytaste recipes- both online and from the cookbooks!
Read more at https://www.skinnytaste.com/pasta-with-butternut-sauce-spicy/#zd3kJFskPkVelY0F.99
Has anyone frozen this sauce? Seems like it would freeze fine, but just curious before I double the recipe to freeze.
I think it would be fine!
Where do you get the spicy chicken italian sausage? I have looked at Trader Joe’s, Target & Kroger and no luck! Thanks!
I was w2 too
Just made this last night, but used roasted acorn squash since that’s what I had on hand. I thought it was really good! My husband wasn’t sure how it would taste, but that didn’t stop him from a full plate and taking some leftovers for lunch today! The only thing is I didn’t use all 10-oz of pasta. Maybe the acorn squash was smaller than the butternut called for in the recipe.
I have exclusively made your recipes for months and made this tonight for my roommate and I. She exclaimed that this was the best thing I’ve ever made, so that says a lot when comparing to all of your amazing recipes. creamy, decadent, salty, spicy, AMAZING!!
Thank you!
Fantastic! I roasted the squash in the oven with salt and pepper and olive oil and puréed with the sauteed garlic and shallots. Used chicken broth to thin. Great recipe!!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I did sauté some mushrooms along with the shallots and garlic and would add more spinach next time just because I love spinach!
Can I substitute the sausage for something else?
It is REALLY delicious!!! Isis deglaze the onions and garlic with w 1/2 cup Chardonnay. I will definitely make this again!
what would you substitute the sausage with if you wanted a vegetarian dish?
I think the recipe would be fine just omitting the sausage, but it would be missing that spicy kick. Maybe just a pinch of crushed red pepper. If you wanted to add more body maybe sauté some mushrooms ?
Gina – loved this. 9 smartpoints for dinner. Yay!
How many Weight Watchers Plus points?
Where do I get the spicy italian chicken sausage? I have looked everywhere!
Made this last night for dinner and wow – so good! Even my 11 yr old nephew loved it! Made it exactly as the recipe called and it's flavorful and delicious – and reheats great for lunch. The portion is also very filling. I'll definitely make this again!
This was delicious! I used frozen tortellini.
So I made this tonight as a pasta dish for me and my guy. I figured this would be way less acidic than tomato sauce for his touchy stomach.
Oh my.
If I had room, I would be eating seconds.
I used the egg farfaille, precut squash, and spicy chicken sausage all from Trader Joes. HUGE hit. I didn't have sage so what I did was after cooking the sausage, I deglazed the pan with a cup of water, a chicken bouillon cube, and about 1/2tbsp of poultry seasoning. I poured this mixture in the food processor as I blended the squash up, along with a chunk of butter. Turns out our onion had gone bad so I skipped that step and added a cube of butter to the squash puree to get that flavour in there.
Followed the rest of the directions and served. Huge hit!
I really wish I had room for another bowl.
Thank you Gina for all your wonderful recipes and hard work. Happy new year!
This was amazing! Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!!
Do you think sweet Italian turkey sausage will work just as well I this recipe? I have dome in the house. Thanks so much Gina for this great blog and now your cookbook. I have lost 50lbs in the last year following WW…and owe so much to loving to cook and eat your slimmed down recipes!
What about the sodium nitrate in the sausages how is this a heathy meal?
Make your own sausage, problem solved!
There are no nitrates or nitrites in the Al Fresco brand of chicken sausages.
you can buy nitrate free sausage
This was delicious!! My husband and I both enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂
Looks delicious! What a great recipe idea…thanks for sharing!
Gina did you take sausage out of casing and cooked? I could not read through all the comments to see if someone else asked as there were too many but it looks like you did – just do not see it mentioned in the directions. Will try this.
Another winner, Gina! This is a new favorite – and a great way to sneak veggies into my husband. 🙂
I'm not a fan of butternut squash, is there another sauce I could use for this recipe?
I made this last night. It was fantastic! I substituted chicken broth for water (as others suggested) and pork sausage for chicken sausage. I also used spinach pasta instead of regular. My husband never says that he "loves food," but he "loved" this pasta 🙂 He said it was his favorite pasta that I've made. I really enjoyed it as well. It's a keeper!
You HAVE to try this recipe – made it last night and it is fabulous!! It goes together quickly and is such a wonderful blend of flavors. I cooked my butternut squash in the microwave – so easy that way, and no additional water needed. I used Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage because I don't like a lot of spice and it was perfect for me. Because of this change, I used fresh thyme and basil for my spices, but no sage. I also added about 1/4 cup white wine to my sauce and not pasta water (too salty for me). I substituted onion for the shallots, because it was what I had, and doubled the spinach. I also used whole wheat penne pasta. It's a fun recipe that easily lends itself to "making it your own". I love Gina's recipes!! Never been disappointed with the results. Thank you for sharing, Gina!
Made this tonight, only changes were wheat pasta and cilantro instead of sage because that's what we had on hand. It was amazing! My husband and children loved it! Will make again!
Delicious! A friend recommended it and I am glad to have tried it. Very easy!
I used olive oil instead of light butter, a small splash of red wine made it into my sauce, penne worked great and since I didn't have spinach I used beet greens instead of baby spinach. I just added them when I was sauteeing the onions since they take longer to cook.
Just made this and I must say it was delicious!! I've never used butternut squash.. other than for baby food. Will be making again for sure. Thank you Gina for another Fantastic recipe!
Love this recipe! This was my first time cooking with butternut squash and it turned out fabulous! YUM! I too added a bit of chicken broth and half and half as a previous poster mentioned.
Just made this. I made it for my wife. She loved it. That's all that matters.
@ Gina – I have a weird question…I am making this tonight for dinner. I just got done chopping up the butternut squash ( I was trying to save money by not buying the pre-chopped stuff). This is the first time I have ever cooked with butternut squash and now my hands are covered in this film – kind of like dried up Elmer's Glue. Is this normal? I can't wait to see how it turns out but I wish I could figure out how to get this film off my hands! Thanks for your help!
So odd!?
I made this for "date night" last night and we both loved it. The only things I did differently were to use whole-wheat penne and I also roasted my squash cubes in the oven with olive oil + garlic + salt & pepper before blending (instead of boiling them).
Next time, I would double the recipe because there was hardly any left over for my lunches this week (we both had 2 very large helpings, so probably not very weight-loss friendly, haha!!). Thanks, Gina!
Omg omg omg!!!! I made it and just couldn't stop eating it. Sooooo amazing. Love everything I've ever made from you. You have yet to disappoint! Thank you thank you thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner. It was awesome! A bit labor intensive, but worth the extra effort. Next time I'll do a few things ahead of time, and I'm going to try the chicken broth idea!
Thanks Gina for the recipe!
I made this last week for dinner and I used Johnsonville mild sausage (took off casing and chopped up two of them). It was so good. I made it into four servings (my husband was out of town) and ate it for dinner and lunch.
I made this dish for dinner tonight and it was delicious. My husband even told me it was a home run! I substituted the cup of water for chicken broth and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe!
This was AMAZING!!! I am anticipating leftovers tonight!! I will be doing this again, and often!!
Not a huge fan of butternut squash, but this meal was outstanding!! The sauce, the flavors, everything was perfect! Thank you for introducing me to a new way of eating squash. I really enjoy your site and have made a huge list of all the recipes that I plan on making – exciting!! Thank you 🙂
Made this tonight, eating it now…added cayenne pepper to mine, had no sage, and it's SOOOOO good. Butternut squash for a sauce was a great idea, it almost looked to pretty to toss in 😛
If you use vegetable pasts does it change the points or calories?
Made this tonight and I am in love. Even my skeptical husband was won over by the wonderful texture of the sauce. I used 1 pork hot Italian sausage + 6oz extra lean ground turkey breast and whole wheat penne. A winner.
Made this tonight and it was AWESOME! Our 2-year-old loved it too 🙂
i just made this. it was ok but was missing something… not sure what though
Great recipe! I couldn't find spicy chicken sausages so I used regular Italian turkey sausages. I never tried them before and now I know I do not like them. The butternut squash sauce was delish! I will make this dish again but use regular grilled chicken or even shrimp instead of the sausage. I love all your dishes I have tried so far!
This turned out really amazing and filling. I didn't have spinach so zam! used some bok choy instead. I can't say enough how much I love your recipes!
I made this last weekend, it is to die for! Thank you for another fantastic recipe. Everything I have made from your site (and I've made lots) has been a huge hit with my family. Can't wait for your cook book!!!
I made this last weekend, it is to die for! Thank you for another fantastic recipe. Everything I have made from your site (and I've made lots) has been a huge hit with my family. Can't wait for your cook book!!!
Al Fresco sausage is very salty. Is there another alternative that is less salty? I'd like to try this recipe. Looks sooo good.
I just stumbled upon this recipe this morningn& made it tonight. SO good! Its so awesome to be eating a satisfying, creamy sauce & know its not full of fat, but actually just fresh delicious vegetable! Thank you!
Gina,
Do you think this recipe will be good with spaghetti squash instead of pasta? We're really trying to cut back on carbs and I love spaghetti squash.
I made this tonight and it was my boyfriend's favorite recipe from this site so far… I like all the recipe's from Skinnytaste so I can't pick!!! I would have never thought to use butternut squash as a pasta sauce and I am definitely going to make this again 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and it was very good. I mistakenly cooked the baby spinach before hand which yielded a lot of spinach and it over powered the butternut squash taste. I will definately try it again with 2 cups of uncooked spinach.
Sounds delicious and can not wait to try! Am having a small dinner party this weekend and this sounds like just the perfect recipe! : ) Wondering how roasting the squash vs boiling it would change the flavor??
I am a vegetarian so I put this through recipe builder without the sausage and it comes to 7 points per serving, as opposed to 9 points with the sausage
I just finished eating this and it was DELICIOUS! Even my husband who hates anything that looks, smells or tastes like onions enjoyed it. What a great idea to use squash as the base for the sauce.
This was soooo good! I used hot italian turkey sausage and whole grain elbow pasta. I had a hard time peeling the squash so I cooked it in the microwave (wrapped in a damp paper towel) for 9 minutes and the squash was easier to peel.
Made this recipe tonight. It was DELICIOUS! Even my picky husband liked it!
This was AMAZING! The best thing I have made from skinny taste!
Great dish! This one is going in my recipe box for sure!
Picky kids are loving this dish tonight! Thank you.
Claudia R. Chico,CA
Made this tonight! I didn't have spinach but made it anyway…I added some curry powder to amp it up a little more and LOVED IT!
About how long should you boil the squash for?
I made this last weekend and it was amazing!!!
Made this last night and it was SO GOOD!! My hubby gave it a thumbs up! I ended up using turkey italian sausage, because I couldn't find the chicken ones at my store. I also used the sweet kind instead of spicy, so the kiddos could enjoy it as well. We all loved it… it will definitely be added to our list of recipes!!
I made this last night, but used an whole onion instead of the shallot. It came out great, and my husband loved it! Thanks for sharing!
I hate when people comment on recipes saying they can't wait to try, but don't follow up with how it worked out. So here is how it worked out… great recipe, some small tweaks: used regular onion, next time will try shallots (little to overpowering) added a cup of milk, and added red pepper flakes because couldn't find spicy chicken sausage. Overall, hubby who hates my cooking, loved it!
This sounds yummy! Could you use frozen butternut squash?
I just made this using frozen butternut squash. Steamed it in the bag in the microwave and then tossed it in the blender. SO SO SO GOOD!
I made this tonight using kale, turkey sausage, and whole wheat pasta (because those things are what I had on hand). Otherwise, I followed Gina's recipe exactly. Even my picky husband loved it. I'll be making this many more times. It was super good and I look forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
OMG soooo good. Mine looked a little different than yours 🙁 you make it look so pretty
I made this tonight and it was INCREDIBLE!!! Keep up the amazing work!
This was so good! It was my first time cooking with squash! It was delicious and looked so gourmet!
This recipe might have changed my life, LOL. Made it tonight and it was SO delicious, almost like carbonara but healthier. It's definitely going to be a favorite!
Made it tonight and it is SO SO SO yummy!!!!! I love it!
Made this last weekend and it was great! I used precut butternut squash from store as I am not good at cutting one up. 🙂 It was a little more than what recipe called for but I added some more reserved pasta water to thin it out. Love the running pledge. I can get out 3 times a week, but run 17 miles/week. I think that can count as 1 mile a day.
As an aside, I think my husband may be more jealous that you met Giada than I am.
What would be a good side to accompany this dish?
I made this recipe last night – it was delicious! I roasted the squash for about 30 minutes and used an immersion blender and a bit of water to puree it. I also used chicken stock rather than pasta water because I didn't have time to cook the pasta ahead of time. Thanks so much for all of these wonderful recipes, Gina!
I tried this recipe last night with gluten free brown rice pasta, and it was just AMAZING. I was really shocked out of my mind how creamy and rich the sauce was. It was also my first time trying a gluten free supplement for pasta, and it too was just fantastic. I am SO looking forward to eating this for lunch today!!
Sweet Potato looks delish!
This recipe was delicious. I just made it last night. I only made one change, I can't eat spicy so i used sweet sausage instead. Still delicious.
Thank you! I know I will make this again. It was great.
Gina I made this last night for dinner and it got 5/5 Stars from both my husband and I and we will be enjoying what is left as a side dish tonight. Next time I will save more Squash Water and I would love to try it again with Kale for holding together for left-overs.
Keep up your daily running. I was able to do 7 miles (Power Walking) today with some sunshine, and no rain/snow finally.
Just made this for my 7and 5 year old kids, and they think it is Mac and Cheese!
ahhhh! you met Giada!! This is awesome!!!
Pasta looks delicious, yum. And mile a day – good for you!
Right!!
One of my favorites!! Yum yum!
Made this last night with turkey sausage instead of chicken and brown rice instead of pasta – it was a huge hit! Definitely a keeper.
Runners World, running streak…I'm in!
Can I use Turkey sausage instead of chicken cant find chicken?
Made this tonight…followed the recipe exactly. A total slam dunk. Everyone loved it. THANKS!!!
Another delicious recipe!!! I pureed the whole squash and froze the other half for next time…
I just maded this … so yummy. No one would ever guess that it has squash for the sauce.
Can't wait to try this, adding the ingredients to my shopping list right now. All of you in the picture are so beautiful
We had this last night and it was amazing!
Do you think bulk breakfast sausage would work in this? I am about to get some from my winter CSA (and butternut squash) but I wonder if it would be 'off' with the spinach?
This was delicious! I don't have a blender, so I just mashed the butternut squash. Worked fine! I doubled the recipe and it made HUGE amounts. I'll be eating this for days. Love the site!
Sean
Gina, this looks awesome!! You know how I don't eat pork, I recently found Italian chicken sausage at our meat dept in our grocery store and I love it!! Must try this!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I am not a huge fan of butternut squash but it looked so good I decided to try it and both my husband and I loved it. I used regular hot (pork) sausage but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Boiled the squash about 10-12 minutes before it became soft. I had prepped all the chopped stuff earlier in the day which made cooking time pretty easy. A great fall/winter meal!
This was wonderful! So rich and creamy without the guilt 🙂 I used AlFresco chicken sausage (one of my favorites). I can't wait to have it again tomorrow for lunch!
I tried this tonight and it was delicious!
I have tried a few of the recipes you have posted and they have all been great, thanks 🙂
When I put this recipe into the ww recipe builder it came to 10p+ though. But well worth the points.
I made this last night for my boyfriend and I! It was a great success! I love your recipes! And so does he!
This was delicious. I made it for dinner last night because I've been looking for some creative way to use my butternut. I didn't have spinach, but turnip greens worked in a pinch.
Also, you still have my support. I won't lie and say a ran a mile last night, but I did walk one briskly on the treadmill and then I got on the elliptical for 25 minutes. I'm with on you "Running into the New Year".
This looks absolutely frickin' incredible, and I have seriously not stopped thinking about it since I first saw the title in my email! I want to make this for dinner tonight, and I can't wait!
Meeting Giada is my dream… jealous! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
http://jailavie.com
That is some really tasty looking pasta!
Love your site! I love that there are so many healthy AND delicious recipes. As for the RW holiday challenge, my husband, best friend, her husband and I are all doing it.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious! My fiance and I both devoured it. Thanks for another great recipe!
I will join you in running. Already doing it. My training partner is a unstoppable, but he is a year old chocolate lab. He makes sure I get out every day which is tough at 4:30 in the morning. It does get easier, I started again last April and have lost over 30 pounds.
I will be joining you in the running! Getting married right after the holidays!! Hopefully your yummy recipes and our running will get me ready for the dress!
oh my YUMMY!!!!
I just made this with a couple of variations for things I had on hand/ could find
I used chicken and apple sausage and canned pumpkin (my grocery did not have a butternut squash)
so tasty and filling… and my kids really liked it too
Just made this and it's great. Didn't think I'd like butternut squash but am glad I tried it. Very satisfying.
I am in!!! I recently had spinal surgery so I can only walk – but I pledge to move at least a mile a day. Good idea!! I love your blog!
get better soon.
Just made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. I couldn't find chicken sausage, so I bought Johnsonville Pork & Chicken mild Italian sausage, and added some red pepper flakes to it. This sausage is probably a little pointier, but the dish was great. I used farfalle pasta, but darn it, I just realized I that I FORGOT to put in the sage leaves that I bought! Definitely will be making this again. Thanks Gina!
I made this tonight also but couldn't find the recommended sausage. So I used Johnsonville Pork & Chicken with chiptole. The points were 5 pts per sausage. I'm not sure how that compares point wise to the recommended sausage but the results were yummy. My hubby and 3 kids 11,8 and 7 all ate it.
Made this for my 2nd time tonight, and this time I couldn't even find the Johnsonville Pork & chicken sausage, so I used Trader Joe's fully cooked jalapeno sausages, and just chopped them up. I sauteed the onion/garlic first in the butter, then add the cooked sausage to warm through, then continued with the recipe. It was delicious, and I'll probably use these sausages next time. My family LOVES this dish!
I am going to try this. I have a acorn squash laying around waiting to be used. Do you think it would be a okay substitute?
How did the acorn squash work out? I have some too and was wondering if it would work!
Gina,
I have cooked something on this website about three times a week for the last two months. I'm down 8 lbs just by doing some calorie counting on myfitnesspal.com and using these recipes- many of which are in their recipe book already, SO convenient and easy. I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons or following trends, or even staying current in the blogging world- but this is one blog I check almost every day. Thank you for your hard work and for making everything so delicious and easy! I'm sure I will post again- I love this blog too much to be silent!
Emily
Gina,
I've never written before but use your recipes all the time. They are fabulous! My partner cannot have onions, garlic or anything spicy. (So difficult) How do you think this would work with mild chicken sausage and perhaps mushrooms instead of onions? If you have other ideas please let me know. I really want to try this recipe! Thanks so much for everything!
Pam
I think it would be good that way- I have made mushrooms with butternut squash before and it came out well- especially since sage is nice with mushrooms.
Gina,
Love your recipes! Quick question – I want to make this tonight but I am a bit of a math moron. What does 10 oz of pasta look like? Is that 1 cup uncooked? 2 cups? Is it an entire box of pasta? Help! I am tracking my calories and want to make sure I get this right. Thank you 🙂
Gina, we love this! How simple, nutritious and perfectly easy! That butternut squash makes a sauce that looks creamy without having cream in it. We're going to feature this on our Facebook page and link here so people can see how you made it, and your lovely photography. If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on greens like kale, chard, beet, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole, dandelion and other green leafies. https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut `n Clean Greens
https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens
I am joining you in running a mile or cycling 4 miles a day (have to cycle until sprained ankle heals in another week or two) for sure! I love your blog and my family loves your recipes too!
Excellent!
Do you think I could sub kale for the spinach? I just got some in my CSA box, and I'm not a big fan of raw kale or kale chips…
Yes! May need to cook a little longer though.
Hi Gina,
Love your recipes and so does my husband. They have given me more cooking confidence, no hard to find ingredients, and always taste delicious. I'm in for the mile a day too…30 mins. of walking.
Please do your Mile a Day. I started on January 1st doing Mile a Day in 2012 over and above my normal workout and I have released 15 pounds and 15" so far and I Power Walk. You can make it a habit and if you are running, it will take you a lot less time than it takes me.
I definitely will be making your pasta. I had a soup similar made with kale and it was to die for.
That's great Laura! Yes, I think I like running to get it over with quicker. 🙂
I am making this this weekend but I am going to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta to save the calories and carbs-
This recipe looks too good! just to die for!!! I think I will choose to make this more decadent dish rather than go out to dinner, for my next cheat meal.. even though this is a skinnier recipe I don't think I would have the self control to eat just 1 1/4 cups, lol..I'll need just a little more because it looks and sounds that good! still so much healthier than restaurant food!
Here in Brooklyn I walk a mile (about 20 blocks) almost every day, walking to the gym…but in honor of you Gina I am going to step it up and start jogging either the walk to the gym or on treadmill at the gym.
The pic with Giada is great! All beautiful ladies =)
Awesome!!! Thanks Dana 🙂
This looks fantastic, and pureeing the squash will be an excellent use for the blender I'm getting for Christmas.
Also, I am definitely joining you in the goal. However, since I play roller derby, I'll make my goal to run OR skate a mile every day 😀
Awesome!
This really looks so very good! I am making it for Christmas Eve Dinner! Gina, you are a true inspiration!! I look forward to your recipes. You do keep me on track;I brag about you all the time!! Oh,you guys look great with Giada! You lucky duck 🙂
Am I in? Probably not…though I wish I were. Not a runner. But I have added a second walk each day. This time with my puppy, Sadie. The first walk goes to our older dog, Lexi. We all could use more exercise.
I love squash and this recipe does sound inviting! Thanks. 🙂
Neither was I but it gets easier.
Do you need to remove the casings from the sausage first?
yes
I made this last night and it was delicious. The kids gobbled it up! Our picky son thought the pureed squash was cheese!! Love that I made a dinner with 2 vegetables in it!!
You can do a mile a day! Stay committed and by the time the New Year rolls around it will be a habit. I'd say I'm in but I take Saturdays off. I walk mon-wed-fri anywhere frm 1-3 miles and then run an average of 4-5 every tues-thurs. Sundays are for long runs of 5-14 miles. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. And for those reading this that think they can't run, try the run-walk-run method found at jeffgalloway.com It's what I do and this year I have done 2-5ks, 1-10k, 1-12k and three half marathons and I have only been running a year. Best of luck!
That's excellent! I def walk if I get tired and then run again, it works for me.
Any chance this could be frozen and reheated later?
I think it would be fine.
Pleeeease let me know if you can subsitute speghetti squash for the pasta. I am loving this recipe, but carbs are NOT my friend.
BTW – you DO look younge than your daughter, or at least her same age.
ABTW – so jealous that you met Giada. She's fabulous!
Try it!
BTW- thanks, must be the photo!
This looks amazing, what a great idea! This would be a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers with turkey in place of the sausage and some pureed roasted squash I always serve at my dinner. Maybe some cranberry sauce on the side? Will definitely hold that thought for next year!
Great idea!
Count me in for the one mile a day challenge Gina! I might sub a cardio class here and there, but I'm down for the 30 days of activity…(Definitely need some damage control from all this holiday baking and eating 😉
-Fatimah
30 days of cardio, zumba, whatever!!!
Pasta looks comforting and delicious for winter. I am printing it, and making it soon!
What a great experience to meet Giada, she is one of my favorites!
Looks delish! Now I know what to do with the leftover sage! Also, I think it's a great idea to start resolutions early. It'll get you in gear & balance out those holiday cravings! The loop in my neighborhood is a mile – count me & my puppy in! 🙂 good luck!
PS – your daughter is beautiful!
PPS – I'm jealous you met Giada! Love her!
Thank you 🙂
Thanks Gina, this looks delicious. I have 2 utternut squash left from the farmers market and this is def calling their name. So glad I found your blog, it's awesome (as are you, wink, wink)!
I had some cubed butternut squash sitting in my fridge that wasn't going to last much longer! I am putting it to use tonight- this is a perfect meal for a cool fall night!
Hi Gina – this looks great, butternut squash & sage is a great combination! And as I'm working on getting back into exercise this is a great challenge. A mile is doable. Count me in!
Yay! It totally is
Love this new recipe! Cannot wait to try! I have been making your recipes consistently for about 5-6 weeks, and I've lost 6 pounds. I was stuck! Worked out all the time, ate pretty well and nothing. Then I started to cook your recipes, more veges and fresh foods, and here I am! At my goal!
Yes, I will join in the challenge to run a mile each day. Sounds fun!
So awesome!
Okay congrats on meeting Giada! I really do like the idea of the 1 mile idea. Just wanted to bring up that if you want you can create a challenge on challengeloop.com to have everyone that wants to join can. Plus everyone is on the same page. I love using it, just wanted to share!
Good to know. This challenge is actually from Runners World, you can follow the hashtag #RWRunStreak on twitter.
We loved the other butternut sauce recipe! We'll definitely be trying this.. I was never big on mashed butternut squash at the holidays (an incredibly bland staple in my family, unfortunately) but this parmesan, sage, butternut sauce has been an awesome surprise..
Thanks!
If I substitute olive oil for butter, it should be ok, right? I'm trying to cut out animal products. What about nutritional yeast for Parmesan cheese. Is there something I can substitute for the chicken sausage? I'm not into tofu- maybe mushrooms?
I've met Giada at New York Food and Wine Festival and at her book signings. She is so sweet in person! If you want to meet her, go to her website and sign up for notifications of her events. She's very approachable. The book signings are quick but the food festival events allow you to have a little more time to speak to her.
Sure, olive oil can always be swapped for butter. You can also just leave the sausage out, mushrooms might be good.
She is so approachable and super friendly, loved her.
Fabulous recipe!!! I'm so jealous that you met Giada! I just love her! She seems so sweet!!
okay… dumb question. what are shallots?! can i just used regular white onions instead?
Sure, they are smaller onions with a mild garlic flavor.
Hi Gina! This looks incredible, and what do you know, I just happen to have the box of Giada's Whole Wheat Penne from our goody bag from that day!!! I am going to try this with a vegetarian/soy alternative for the chicken sausage. Thank you again for inviting me that day to meet Giada, she really was so sweet and genuine! I feel so honored to be pictured with you all on Skinnytaste!! Let me know if you want to go for a run cause I'm IN!!!!
It was a great day, glad you came along.
This looks delicious. Winter squash is such a favorite in our house. If this anywhere near close to OMG YUM as is your spaghetti with creamy butternut squash leak sauce then I will be in BN squash heaven …That recipe is truly decadent.
Thanks Gina. Nancy
After having wowed my husband with your spaghetti with creamy butternut leek sauce (only exception was I baked the squash from my garden to make the sauce, otherwise, followed your recipe exactly) I'm so looking forward to making this new one.
Every recipe of yours I've ever tried (and there have been many of them) have been perfect. They look good, taste wonderful, are healthy and they got my husband and me to stay on Weight Watchers without feeling deprived. I'm on maintenance now, thanks in no small part to your good food. I will continue forever to make your recipes, because they are just too good to relegate to "when we were losing weight". Thanks a million.
Fun fact? Had to look it up, but I found that "casarecce" is Italian for "homemade" and that is such a beautiful description of this cool pasta shape. Thanks, too, for telling us what brands you use and where you get them.
Love it!! Perfect name, tasted so good!
So jealous you got to meet giada! And this pasta – to die for. It has all of my favorite ingredients!
I am in! In all the way! I usually do about 3 a day…so bring it!
Wow that's great that you got to meet Giada!! You and your daughter look like sisters!! Your pasta dish looks delicious!
Another great recipe! I have been a big fan of your blog for quite some time, and this is the first time I commented. I am in a weight loss group with some old high school buddies, and have pointed them to this website MANY times. I love to cook, and always great to see fun substitutions and new items…especially when being super picky about food choices.
Funny– I just tried Giada's new line at Target last night. And said, "Wow. Not bad, Target, not bad."
Thanks again for your blog and top notch responsiveness. I am trying to kick up my exercise routine, so I am on board with the running/elliptical daily.
I made it and added walnut pieces! Delicious.
WALNUT PIECES. *dies* Great idea! I actually already have walnuts at home! Good call! I think I'll do what the above poster suggested and use chicken stock in lieu of the pasta water as well.
I agree with chicken stock! Will broaden flavors, wish I did that! Also, I know I know, one more thing – goat cheese is a great touch for the creaminess of it.
Can't do carbs so do you think spag squash would work in place of the pasta?
How I wish I ha some squash on hand tonight, this looks great! I first was reading this in my RSS reader and glanced at the picture and saw 3 friends. Then I was like hmm which one is Gina so I read the caption and could not believe you 2 are monther/daughter. Looking good, must be all the yummy recipes you make for your family.
Aww thanks, people say that all the time 🙂
This pasta looks incredible. Such a perfect dish for this time of year!
I don't want to be a downer, but it's not really a good idea to go running every day if you're not accustomed to it. Running is an impact sport, so you have a good chance of injuring yourself if you don't take rest days and build up your body's tolerance for the activity. It would be a much better idea to alternate running and walking days if you're not willing to take full rest days. Good luck with your challenge!
Walking at a brisk pace is perfectly acceptable! 1 mile won't take too long walking fast, maybe 30 minutes?
I look forward everyday to go on your site and see what new recipe you have, i will definately try this one. My husband has lost 53 pounds and i have lost 17 cooking your recipes everynight for dinner. And we both walk on the treadmill everyday, its been great eating healthier we both feel so much better, i have told many people about your site :). Any idea how many old points it would be if I subsituted ground turkey for the sausage and multigrain pasta?
Great recipe Gina!
To add a little more depth of flavor I'd replace the pasta water with 3/4 cup chicken broth and a tablespoon or two of Heavy Cream. A bit more calories and fat but still keeping it lean!
Instead of the cream, try fat-free half & half!
Looks great, and so do you Gina, you look like a sister to your daughter rather than her Mom! I'll be trying this recipe tonight! I have loved all of the recipes I've tried so far.
not a fan of sausage, could you substitute ground chicken?
thanks
cannot wait to try this Gina!!!
Looks yummy.
I'm in for a mile a day! Good idea
This looks fantastic, I haven't come across these sausages in Scotland, is there a substitute?
Use 1 link of regular sausage and add ground turkey.
I'm in for the running! awesome post!
Yay!!
How long did you cook the squash for?!
The pasta dish looks delicious, I just pinned it. You and your daughter are gorgeous, you look like sisters!
Thanks Victoria 🙂
OMG – I love anything butter nut squash!
I'm using the couch to 5K app for iPad .. so not running every day, but at least 2x's per week.
Monica
http://www.pear-shaped-gal.com/
I'm not a runner but I'll commit to ride my bike every day!
Forget the food……what do you use on your face?!?! You look younger than your daughter 🙂
That's sweet 🙂
This looks amazing! Do you know what the nutritionals would be without the meat? I don't eat meat so I'll take that out. Thanks!
This looks so yummy. Pinning for later!
I made WAY too much of the butternut squash sauce from the previous recipe so I froze it. I know what I'll be using it for now!! My bf and I are committed to eating Paleo most of the time, rarely eating pastas and grains, but this looks perfect for when that craving hits! Everything besides the pasta is paleo!
By the way, the butternut squash sauce got a big thumbs up from me, bf, and three guests we had over for dinner. You're amazing Gina and keep up the wonderful work!
This. Looks. Amazing.
Pinned!
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(¸.·´ (¸.·`¤… Jennifer
http://jennsrandomscraps.blogspot.ca/
http://pinterest.com/jennp6/
Thanks for a wonderful looking recipe!!
Joining you on the walk/run daily–not sure if I'll make it but hoping to get 100 miles between walk/run/bike by the end of December!
Awesome!!!
So amazing that you got to meet Giada! She's my absolute favorite! She replied to one of my tweets a few years ago, and I have literally told every person who will listen, lol.
This is such a unique pasta recipe. Will definitely have to make it soon!
This looks awesome! What kind of chicken sausage do you buy? I've tried the Trader Joe's brand but was wondering if there was a better option.
I like Premio best, and Al Fresco's is really good too.
Do you remove the casing?
how about the non-tortured kind. Chickens are treated cruelly by most meat providers
I'm loving butternut squash sauces this season! And as for the running, can I do 2 miles every other day? 😉
Sure!!!
I'm going to run my first mile tonight!!!! Good luck!!
p.s LOVE YOUR FOOD!!!
SO excited to make this healthier version of one of my husband's fall favorites – thank you for sharing! Oh, and also…I'm down with the mile a day. Gonna start this afternoon. Great idea – thanks for the motivation.
This looks absolutely amazing!!!I love butternut squash and spinach so having a recipe that holds both is such a treat!! Yummy!
p.s. Today is the very last day to enter into an H&M gift card giveaway on our blog!! Hope you can take look
http://lynnandlou.blogspot.com/2012/11/polka-dot-pants.html
About how long does it take for the squash to soften as you boil it? Thanks!
This looks soooo amazing. I cannot wait to make it.
That looks so yummy! I must make this once I get past all this busy-ness I have going on.
You had me at butternut squash! I love it and it makes any recipe perfect for fall! I love the shape of the casarecce too 🙂
This looks delicious!! I love your commitment to run a mile a day until the new year and I'm so JEALOUS that you met Giada!! You all look great in the picture 🙂
Christa
www.freshsqueezedfashion.com
I love simple pasta dishes like this – so satisfying!
Also so jealous that you got to meet Giada!
This looks so yummy, I'll be trying it tonight and let you know how it turned out 🙂