Smoked Sausage and Squash Pasta In Sage Brown Butter Recipe: Smoked sausage and butternut squash add savory heartiness to classic pasta in brown butter, and it should be your new weeknight go-to.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound cupped or tubed pasta, like orecchiette or penne
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage links
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pasta
- ¾ pound peeled butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- Salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 sage leaves
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a big pot of water that has a lot of salt in it to a boil. In the meantime, cook the sausage: Place the pasta in a sauté pan or pot that is big enough to hold it all. Add the sausage and enough cold water to cover it. When the water starts to boil, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes, take the pot off the heat.
Step 2
Put the sausage on a cutting board and cut it into coins that are ½ inch thick. Clean the pan and put it back on the stove.
Step 3
Heat the olive oil in the same pan over high heat until it almost smokes. For 5 to 7 minutes, flip the sausage over once and cook until both sides are dark brown. Place the sausage on a plate lined with paper towels. Next, turn the heat down to medium. Put the squash in the pan with a little salt. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes of cooking, while you stir it every now and then and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Step 4
Put the pasta in hot water and cook it until it’s al dente according to the directions on the package while the squash browns. Save one cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Step 5
Once the squash is nicely cooked, add the sage and butter. Cook for one or two minutes, until the butter turns yellow, smells nutty, and foams. Then take the pan off the heat right away and add the sausage back in.
Step 6
Mix the brown-butter sauce with the pasta in the pan. If the pasta has cooled off a lot, turn the heat back down to low while you mix everything together. After you add the cheese, check the sauce and add pasta water if it’s too thick. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and if you want, serve with extra Parmesan.