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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.
Yield: 5 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
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
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.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 1 1/4 cups, Calories: 362 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 20 g, Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 53 mg, Sodium: 419 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 1 g
I have been looking for lower salt recipes to sprinkle into my weeks meals and this one came up. I was a bit worried about it but also excited to try it. It exceeded my expectations! I can’t believe how creamy this is, it’s crazy! And yeah the squash makes it a bit sweet which I’m not usually a fan of BUT the spicy sausage offsets that nicely.
Easy to prepare and pretty quick other than cutting up the squash, but I’m getting quicker at that lol
Great meal and I will be making this quite a bit. I didn’t change anything other than I was out of whipped butter so I had to use unsalted.
Does this recipe freeze well?
Yes it does. Freeze it all the time.
I love anything and everything with squash. This was easy and delicious..thank you !!!!!
Can you use evoo instead of whipped butter?
Sure
We had several butternut squash from the farmer’s market so I was trying to find something to do with some of them. I’m sure our version was not as healthy (breakfast sausage and regular pasta) but it was certainly good! As many others have said, the sauce is a delicate blend of flavors -and you don’t taste the squash flavor at all.
I make this once or twice every fall! Amazing. Have been for at least 5 years now. Had it tonight with spaghetti squash.
This recipe is amazing!! I don’t like butternutsquash, neither does my boyfriend. But this recipe looked so good, I had to try it. Boy, am I glad I did! This dish is simply delicious. I used mild pork sausages, but used crushed red pepper to spice it up to my taste. This recipe is now a staple in my house. I make a whole batch to have a couple of leftovers for lunch during the week. If you were hesitating on doing it, don’t! Give it a try and you won’t regret it!
Delicious!! Used mild pork sausage and added crushed red pepper so I could control the heat. Also added chicken bone broth instead of pasta water. Will absolutely make again.
So good and easy. I cut my butternut squash in half and roast in the oven before I purée because I hate cubing it. Makes my life easier.
I love this recipe!! This is the first new recipe I tried when I moved into my own place 3 years ago and it was so good, I’ve made it so many times since and make it for all my friends. So good, 10/10
I don’t leave reviews often, but had to for this recipe!! It was not only amazing the night it was made, but again later with some of the frozen sauce reheated. Definitely a keeper, in rotation and sending to friends!!
The only criticism I have, is if you’re working with fresh butternut squash, prep time is not 10 minutes. So if you’re looking for quick, use precut or frozen as suggested in the notes
After trying this (and it’s delicious!) I made a batch of just the sauce and froze it in ice cube trays. Easy to pull out a few and to use with ravioli, tortellini, etc later for a quick meal prep.
OMG. This is our new favorite recipe. Two people I know that dislike squash even loved it. The texture, the flavors, everything about this dish is scrumptious.
Yumbo!
Although, next time I may simplify slightly by using frozen squash purée …
Is the chicken sausage raw with casing removed? Thank you!
Delicious recipe! I added the sage earlier with the garlic and shallots for more flavour – careful not to let it burn) and I added spicy Clamato juice (pickled bean flavour) to thin out the sauce at the end. I know it sounds gross, but you’ll thank me later 😂
I’ve loved every recipe I’ve tried of yours, but I have to say this one is my favorite. I want to make it every week!
Thanks Lisa!
Very tasty recipe! I needed more than a cup of pasta water to thin the sauce. I probably used 1 1/2 cups of water. I used Isernio’s spicy chicken sausage and thought the flavor was amazing. Instead of boiling the butternut squash, I roasted it with olive oil, salt pepper and garlic powder. I roasted the squash for 22 minutes at 400 then blended it. . The recipe makes generous serving portions. I’ll make this again!
I was ok…I wouldn’t make it again.
So delicious! But I made waaay too much. Does this freeze well? Just worried about how the pasta will hold up.
What does Serving Size 11/4 cups mean?
One and 1/4 cups.
Can you make the sauce the day before and put in the fridge for the next evening and just warm it through?
Also, what would you recommend to make this dish veggie – thinking for a dinner party, part meat eaters part vegetarians!
Thanks
Sure and I think it would be fine a day ahead. I would leave the sausage out for half!
Another awesome SkinnyTaste recipe! I’ve made it a handful of times and it never disappoints. I thought I had already commented on this recipe, but I don’t see any of my prior comments. I made it this evening and stuck all 5 servings in the freezer to have for lunches next week. . Because the pasta tends to soak up the liquid, I added a generous amount of the pasta water (like, possibly 2 cups, maybe a smidge more) before packaging up the servings.
Great way to use squash. Made this for dinner last night, and my kitchen smelled like a fancy restaurant. Delicious and healthy. Thank you!
WhT brand chicken sausage did you use?
I like Premio
This looks amazing but it’s listed under low sodium recipes and there’s no way this is low sodium. I’m sure it’s the sausage that is responsible. Any suggestions to lower the sodium in this and not lose the flavor?
This is a go to comfort food recipe for my husband and I. I substituted a pumpkin puree that I had in the freezer for the butternut squash, and it turned out delicious. I used spicy pork sausage and gluten free pasta.
Super delicious! Per the recommendation of some other comments, I added a little lemon juice while I was sauteing the leeks. I also used 2 tablespoons of butter instead of 1 since I was using light butter anyway. I served it with some Italian chicken sausage. Yum!
Made this tonight with chickpea pasta. Doubled the squash since I like saucy pasta and added in a bit more spinach so it wouldn’t go bad. So good!! Hubs and toddler loved it. Going in the rotation
I never leave reviews… that being said, this deserved my first! This pasta was mouthwateringly good. My husband talked about it for a good week!
First of all, I love the cook oil for one pots, One and Done.” I made this! I have never had butternut squash willingly and because your recipe said even if you don’t like butternut squash, the dish will change your mind. Well, it did! I used whole wheat pasta. So wasn’t a fan of the is sausage and squash with the pasta. But I’m thinking totally next time will double up on the squash and do zuchin I squash noodles or cauliflower rice or mash…:or just by itself over toasty bread! I have sooo many ideas with making sauce with butternut squash with lots of things now. It’s so mild-tasting maybe even a hollandaise sauce – of sorts im trying to find away without butter even ghee. So I bought one of these cookbooks for my daughter ans the other daughter wants one too! It’s ironic when I became a complete empty nester, I brought my cast iron enamel pot and a smaller cuisinart sauce pan and a skillet. All three. High quality ans haven’t needed anything more. Or with this cook on, I’m set for gourmet meals! And because of my dietary constraints, your recipes leave so many options to modify. Just wish whole wheat pasta tasted better! Lol! Maybe i overcooked it. But my nutritionist says I need more fiber and protein in my diet with staying low fat..::so tried the pasta option but this one obviously will not work for me 🙂
Try dreamfields pasta. I use it all the time! It’s great for diabetics it has whole grains. You’ll thank me!!
The whole family loved it! Your site and books are becoming my trusted source for nutritious and delicious recipes. Thank you!
Thanks April!
This recipe involved a little more guesswork on the timing of each step than my addled brain could handle tonight, but still came out tasting great! I feel like a pinch of red pepper flakes would tie it all together for my palate.
Made this last night for a girls night and it was delicious. Followed the recipe exactly. I totally agree with one reviewers description that this is “restaurant quality”. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
This. Was. AMAZING!
There was nothing I didn’t like about this. Flavorful, healthy, and so easy. I may have put more squash in than what was called for, but others may not think it needs it. This will be put in regular rotation in my house!
Holy Crap. This was so good! I roasted a halved Butternut squash and scooped it into my blender with a splash of oat milk. My BF asks me to make this every week now. luckily you can make the sauce in big batches and freeze it!
One of my fall favorites! make this several times a year during squash season!
Hi, Gina.
,I live in a country where I am not able to source any sausage–chicken, turkey, pork. I can get minced chicken, though. Any ideas what to add in order t accomplish CLOSE to the aim of this recipe? Thank you very much–in my mind I can “taste” this recipe!
Hi Anna! Since I am not sure where you live and what would be available my best suggestion would be to look up recipes for homemade chicken sausage and see if the spices are available in your area. I hope you have luck!
If you can order from Penzeys spices (online), I highly recommend their “Sausage Seasoning”-you can add it to any meat/protein/tofu etc you desire for a similar sausage taste.
Is the cheese absolutely necessary in the sauce? I want to make this, but we are dairy free (my son is lactose intolerant).
This was delicious! We subbed in sweet Italian sausage and a bit of poultry seasoning for sage (because that’s what we had, lol) and it came out creamy, earthy, and flavorful-the ultimate comfort food!
Recommend putting the sage leaves in with the shallots and garlic! Enhances the flavor :). Otherwise, completely delicious!
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?
I just had mine over spaghetti squash. Yum
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!!
Looks good! Two questions:
– could you use canned squash purée instead?
– any good subs for chicken sausage if you want it make it vegetarian? Maybe beans?
Field Stone brand has vegan sausage that is very tasty
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
Made this tonight and everyone really liked it. My husband loves mushrooms and asked if I could add them next time. Do you think sautéed mushrooms would be a good addition to this recipe- just not sure about the flavors together?
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!!!