Crispy Sausage & Roasted Honeynut Squash Puree Pasta

Sweet, savory, and totally squashable—get ready to fall for your new favorite pasta

Honeynut squash season is officially here, and this creamy pasta is the ultimate way to celebrate its natural sweetness. Think of this Crispy Sausage & Roasted Honeynut Squash Puree Pasta as a cozy fall sweater in a bowl—comforting, satisfying, and just a little bit fancy with the addition of sausage and rosemary. The roasted honeynut squash blends into a silky sauce that wraps around every noodle, while the crispy sausage adds that perfect salty contrast. Whether you're cooking for a weeknight dinner or hosting friends for a cozy gathering, this recipe strikes the perfect balance of elevated and approachable. It's a pasta that feels like it was made for chilly nights, glass of wine in hand, with nothing but good vibes ahead.

A few gourd ideas…

• Don’t rush the sausage! Letting it sit undisturbed in the pan until it’s ready to be moved is what gives you those beautiful golden-brown crispy bits that really deepen the flavor of this pasta

• A white wine with a bit of body, like a Viognier or a Chardonnay, will perfectly complement the creamy squash and sausage in this dish. If you prefer reds, go for a light-bodied Pinot Noir, which brings just the right amount of acidity to balance out the richness without overpowering the dish.

Crispy Sausage & Roasted Honeynut Squash Puree Pasta

4 servings | 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 honeynut squash, halved, peeled & cored

• olive oil

• kosher salt

• fresh cracked pepper, to taste

• 1 pound shaped pasta like campanelle or rigatoni

• ½ pound mild Italian sausage, about 2 links, casings removed

• 1 large shallot, diced

• 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup parmesan, grated

• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Start by peeling, halving, and removing the seeds from 2 honeynut squash. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Roast cut-side down until soft and fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil—it should be salty like the ocean, which is 3 big pinches of kosher salt in my kitchen. Add in 1 pound of your favorite dried pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of that starchy pasta water before draining, you’ll need it later.

4. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in 1/2 pound of mild Italian sausage (make sure you remove it from the casing first). Press the sausage down into the pot so more of it makes contact with the surface. Season with a pinch of salt and let it cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes to form that delicious golden-brown crust. Flip to brown the other side and break up into smaller pieces.

5. Scoot the sausage to the edges of the pan and toss in 1 diced shallot and 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped rosemary. Cook until the shallot softens, about 3 minutes. Add in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. If your squash isn’t quite done yet, feel free to remove the pan from the heat and take a little break.

6. Once the honeynut squash is out of the oven, add it to a blender along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Remove the smaller lid in your blender’s lid to let the steam escape, or you might create a squash explosion. Blend until silky smooth.

7. Place your Dutch oven back over medium heat, and deglaze the pan with 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, scraping up all those flavorful brown bits stuck to the bottom. Pour in the squash puree, then add the drained pasta and 1/2 cup of pasta water. Toss everything together until the noodles are coated in that creamy sauce. If it’s still a little thick, just add more pasta water, a splash at a time, until it’s smooth.

8. Turn off the heat, then stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan. This is where the sauce gets all glossy and luscious. Toss everything together until the butter and cheese melt into the sauce.

9. Serve it up in bowls, then finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a drizzle of good olive oil for that final touch.