Pasta with Creamy Butternut Sauce

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this dish. I wondered if the squash flavor would overpower everything and if the family would turn up their noses (squash is not the favorite around here). I was pleasantly surprised, however, at the creamy sauce that resulted. I will be making this recipe again, for sure.

I did leave out the spinach so that my middle son would try it, but wow, that would add some great flavor. Next time, I think I'll add it. Cause I'm a mean mom who makes her kids try things over and over. ;)

I'm including a vegetarian label on this because it could easily be turned vegetarian by omitting the meat or substituting a 'faux' sausage!

Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach and Creamy Butternut Sauce

Ingredients:

11 oz (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 tbsp light butter

10 oz casarecce, or pasta of your choice

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

Directions:

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.