Butternut squash gets roasted, puréed, then tossed with Parmesan to make this nutty, creamy pasta sauce – Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sage and Walnuts. Each serving is topped with crispy fried sage leaves, a hint of lemon zest, and toasted walnuts, adding a crunchy contrast to the squash. Feel free to forgo wrestling with a giant squash and use a package of cubed precut squash instead.

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sage and Walnuts

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
2½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
¾ packed cup fresh sage leaves
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 lemon, zested (about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
1 pound short pasta, such as gemelli, casarecce or penne
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing twice throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium. When the oil is hot, add the sage and cook, tossing often, until the leaves begin to crisp, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts and a generous sprinkle of salt and cook, tossing often, until the sage leaves are lightly browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage and nuts to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out the skillet. Let the mixture drain for 1 minute, then add it to a small bowl with the lemon zest; toss lightly and set aside.

Working in batches if necessary, transfer the roasted squash and garlic to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. The consistency should be somewhere between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed, if it seems too thick.

Transfer the puréed squash to the reserved skillet and keep warm over very low heat. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water, along with 1 tablespoon salt, and cook until al dente. Just before draining, ladle ½ cup pasta water into a measuring cup and set aside.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, then, off the heat, add the ½ cup Parmesan and toss until the cheese is incorporated. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle the sage, walnut and lemon zest mixture on top, and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

Pasta with Squash Sausage and Lettuce Cream: Sweet squash, hearty sausage and fresh mint make for the perfect winter pasta dish.

Serves 4

lacucinaitaliana.com

INGREDIENTS
5 large lettuce leaves
9 OZ. ricotta
1 onion
14 OZ. fresh sausage
extra-virgin olive oil
dry white wine
10 OZ. butternut squash
2 CUPS small pasta
mint

INSTRUCTIONS
Clean and boil the lettuce leaves, drain, squeeze and purée with the ricotta and a pinch of salt to obtain a smooth cream.

For the pasta: Chop the onion. Remove the sausage from the casing and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and brown for 5 minutes. Then add the sausage; cook it by crushing and crumbling it for a couple of minutes. Add a splash of wine and cook for another 8-10 minutes. 

Dice the squash in 1/4″ cubes. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in another pan and cook the squash for around 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta, cook to al dente, drain it reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Spoon the pasta directly into the pan with the sausage; add the squash and stir, adding, if needed, a little cooking water. Top with the cream and mint leaves to taste.

Baked butternut squash pasta is a creamy, cheesy, comforting dish that is full of all the flavors of fall. The butternut squash and sage sauce is tossed with penne pasta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano, and layered between more sauce before being baked until melty.

Serves 4

sipandfeast.com

INGREDIENTS
1 pound penne or rigatoni, ziti, etc.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 ounces tomato paste
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
5 cups butternut squash cubed
¼ cup sage chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
½ pound mozzarella cheese shredded, divided

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400f and set rack to the middle level. Saute onion in the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until soft (about 5 minutes).

Add in the tomato paste, chicken stock, butternut squash, chopped sage, salt, pepper, and cook partially covered over medium heat until the squash is fork-tender (about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water to very al dente. About 2 minutes less than the package instructions.

In a large bowl add half of the butternut squash sauce and the pasta. Add in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and ⅔’s of the shredded mozzarella. Gently mix together.

Place a layer of butternut squash sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13″ baking dish. Add the pasta and top with the remaining sauce and the remaining shredded mozzarella.

Cover with parchment paper then foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the covering and cook for 10 more minutes. If you want the cheese browned broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully to avoid burning. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
– When cooking the sauce keep the lid slightly cracked to encourage a bit of evaporation and to help the hard squash soften more quickly.

– Covering the pasta with a layer of parchment paper, then foil, prevents the cheese from sticking. If you don’t have parchment paper try wiping a bit of oil onto the foil to prevent sticking.

– Fried sage leaves can be used as a garnish for a nice visual effect. To cook, just fry the sage leaves for 60-90 seconds in a ¼” layer of hot olive oil.

Love Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna for its vegetable forward yet comforting and familiar flavors.

Serves 12

vermontcreamery.com

INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
6 tablespoons Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter – 82% Butterfat
3 cloves garlic
12 leaves fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup shredded gouda or fontina cheese
2 cups whole milk ricotta
2 cups shredded provlone
20 oz frozen spinach
1 box no-boil lasagna pasta sheets
1 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Lightly butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.

On a baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the butter, garlic, sage, and rosemary, in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the sage and rosemary from the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and broth, whisking until combined. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the gouda or fontina cheese and the spinach. Stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, mash the roasted butternut squash until mostly smooth. Stir in the ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the butternut squash mixture, and then another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and a handful of provolone. Repeat the layering until all the squash and sauce have been used…don’t stress about making it perfect. Arrange the prosciutto on top, if using. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with the reserved fried sage and rosemary. Enjoy!