Go Back

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Sausage And Spinach

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach is a cozy Italian-American skillet method with rigatoni coated in a smooth orange cream sauce. Rigatoni cooks in salted water, then gets tossed with squash-cream, parmesan, spinach, and browned Italian sausage until glossy and tender.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne Use rigatoni or penne.
Sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed Casings removed before browning.
Greens
  • 4 cups baby spinach Add at the end to wilt.
Aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced Diced onion for sautéing.
  • 4 garlic, minced Minced garlic.
Butternut Squash Base
  • 2 cups butternut squash puree Puree for the creamy sauce base.
  • 1 cup heavy cream For the rich sauce.
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water Reserved starchy water to loosen and emulsify.
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated Stir in at the simmer stage.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning Season the onion-garlic base.
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg Adds warm spice to the sauce.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes For gentle heat; adjust to taste.
  • Salt and pepper to taste Season to taste at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, then reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Keep the pasta warm while you cook the sauce.
Brown the sausage
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown Italian sausage until cooked through, then drain the fat and set the sausage aside. Leave any browned bits in the pan for flavor.
Sauté aromatics
  1. In the same skillet, sauté diced onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
Make the butternut squash cream sauce
  1. Stir in butternut squash puree and heavy cream, then add nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring so the sauce thickens slightly.
Melt in parmesan
  1. Reduce slightly and stir in grated parmesan until smooth and fully melted. The sauce should look glossy and cohesive.
Toss pasta and wilt spinach
  1. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta cooking water, then toss until the sauce coats evenly. Add baby spinach and toss just until wilted.
Finish with sausage and seasoning
  1. Return the browned sausage to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: reserve pasta cooking water and add it gradually so the sauce turns creamy instead of thick or dry. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or cream. Freezing is not recommended because cream-based squash sauces can separate when thawed. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half (or use a reduced amount) and simmer 2–3 minutes longer to thicken.