Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sausage Ragù
 
 
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces Italian sausage, removed from its casing (see notes)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups diced butternut squash
  • 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 4 fresh sage leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into ¼"-thick pieces
  • 12 ounces mezze paccheri or other short pasta
  • grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a spoon, for 5 minutes.
  3. Add onion, garlic and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add butternut squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 8 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and add tomatoes with juice, red wine, sage, thyme and bay leaf; stir to combine. Arrange the butter slices on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked pasta to pot with ragù and stir to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
  7. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
I used Belcampo Organic Tuscan Sausage.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/pasta-with-butternut-squash-and-sausage-ragu/