Butternut Squash, Sausage and Kale Pasta
I love butternut squash! It is one of my favorite fall ingredients, and I could eat it in all sorts of things. However, my family does not feel the same way, so I either have to make recipes just for me or I need to find specific ways that they like it. This recipe was born the year that I decided to grow butternut squash in our yard. It was 2020, the pandemic was in full swing, and I decided to throw some seeds in our back landscape that we didn’t typically do much with. Little did I know those few seeds would take over everything! The vines climbed our deck, the shrubs, and started to come out into the lawn. We got over 20 squash that year! That is when I discovered that my family was less than thrilled with this particular vegetable. So I had to get creative. This recipe was by far the family favorite! I think the sausage redeems it for my husband and the boys. I feel great because it enables me to sneak some kale and squash into their dinner as well. While I don’t make a ton of squash recipes anymore, (I do have a soup and a salad that I love and make just for me!), we make this one every year in the fall and everyone loves it!
Butternut Squash, Sausage and Kale Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 T. olive oil divided
- 4 cups dry rotini pasta
- 1/3 cup red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Sweet Italian sausage links casings removed
- 3 cups kale finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary finely chopped
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1 T. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 25 minutes, until tender.
- Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions.
- Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add sausage and cook, crumbling to keep the pieces small, until cooked through.
- Stir in kale, garlic and rosemary. Cook until kale is wilted. Add squash and drained pasta and mix again until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add grated parmesan and stir one more time until the cheese is incorporated.
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