Chicken & Apple Sausage Pasta with Butternut Squash
Fall flavors in a simple 5 ingredient pasta dish! A perfect meal for a crisp, fall weeknight.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 ounce bag of diced frozen butternut squash
- 16 ounces rigatoni
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 package al fresco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage sliced
- ½ cup half & half (or milk)
- ½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a medium sheet pan with foil. Toss together butternut squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and about ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender and browned in spots. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make pasta. Bring water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon sea salt and cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is finished, set aside a ½ cup of pasta water in case you need it for the sauce. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cooked butternut squash and rigatoni to the pan, and stir to combine.
- Add half and half and cheese, and toss together until everything is coated and saucy. (If the sauce is not coming together, add a small amount of pasta water and continue to stir until the sauce emulsifies.)
- Serve hot & enjoy!
Notes
Make ahead: Roast the squash and brown the sausage up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately, then cook the pasta and assemble just before serving.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Add a splash of milk or half & half while reheating to loosen the sauce.
For vegan version: Use a vegan sausage in place of the chicken sausage. Swap out plain, unsweetened non-dairy creamer in place of the half and half. Use vegan "cheese" shreds or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast in place of the cheese.
For Gluten-free version: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of regular rigatoni.
Other Variations:
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- Add other roasted vegetables such as zucchini, onions, Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
- Use ground sausage or chicken or pork sausage links in different flavor varieties.
- Use your favorite jarred cream sauce instead of half & half and cheese.