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Cozy, sweet, and spicy

This Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce and Chorizo is a cozy, sweet, and spicy fall pasta dish. Butternut squash is roasted until fork-tender and lightly caramelized then blended with broth, a generous splash of cream, and a warm mix of fresh sage, garlic, nutmeg, black pepper, and curry. The sweetness of the sauce is balanced with a spicy measure of chorizo sausage and a thick tangle of pasta -- bucatini being my favorite choice. An optional, but highly encouraged, sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano finishes the dish.

How to roast butternut squash

I prefer to roast the squash for this butternut squash pasta sauce because roasting brings out really nice caramel notes. Though the squash is sliced in half and seeded before roasting, I don’t bother peeling it because roasting will tenderize the flesh to the point that it’s super easy to scoop right out.

Using a chef’s knife, slice the stem end of the butternut squash off as well as about ½ inch off the bottom.
Then carefully slice the squash in half vertically. I find that this is easiest to do with it standing upright on its newly trimmed, flat bottom end.
Using a regular flatware spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Transfer the squash to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flesh side up, to maximize browning and caramelization of the flesh.
Using a basting brush (or your fingertips in a pinch), brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed flesh of the squash.
Transfer the squash to the oven and roast until fork-tender, then remove from oven and reserve to the side. Depending on the size of your squash and whether you used several small squashes or one large one, this usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 75 minutes.

How to choose a good butternut squash

Starting with a good butternut squash will make all the difference in making a delicious butternut squash sauce for pasta, so keep the following things in mind when choosing one:

It should feel heavy for its size. Pick up a couple of similar size squashes and compare their weight in your hands. The lighter-feeling squashes of similar size are likely not ripe enough, so opt for their heavier counterparts. Butternut squash comes in all different sizes and the large ones are not necessarily better than their smaller counterparts. Often, I will end up with two medium-sized butternut squashes to make this recipe rather than one large one, while other times a large one from the farmers market works beautifully.
The stem should be firm and intact. If it’s softened or missing, it likely means that the squash is reaching the end of its life.
Surface scratches and imperfections are ok, but your squash should not have any deep scratching, cuts, or soft spots.
The color should be an even beige. Green spots or large streaks mean that the squash has probably not fully ripened yet. A pale spot or two is normal as this is likely just the spot the squash was laying on the ground where it grew.

What type of pasta is best to use?

This is 100% up to you, but I suggest choosing a sturdy one as this sauce is nice and thick. I used bucatini pasta when I shot this recipe because I wanted to maximize the amount of Butternut Squash Sauce I could coat on each noodle, but spaghetti, linguine, and pappardelle are also lovely choices for a swirl and twirl pasta that will stand up well to the sauce. I also enjoy this sauce with a corkscrew shape like rotini, or a tube pasta like rigatoni or penne because they all hold up well to thick sauces. Classic elbow, conchiglie/shell, or orecchiette are also really nice if your favored method for enjoying pasta in a deep bowl and a spoon. You are also welcome to use gluten-free pasta if desired.

Can I make this pasta dish vegetarian?

Yes, you can omit the ground chorizo sausage if you'd like to make this dish vegetarian. The sauce is gorgeous on it's own or extra lovely with a spoonful of this Olive Tapenade swirled in. You'll also want to ensure that the parmesan cheese topping you optionally use to finish the dish is vegetarian as well.

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

An immersion blender
A cutting board
A chef's knife or santoku knife
A kitchen scale
Measuring spoons
A regular large flatware spoon
A basting brush
A baker's half sheet
Parchment paper
A clean kitchen towel
A medium skillet
A large soup pot or dutch oven
A colander
A wooden spoon or spatula
A pasta spoon
A mug - OR - small bowl + ladle (to reserve pasta water)
A cheese grater/zester (if topping with Parmigiano Reggiano)

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

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Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce and Chorizo

Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 85 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Mains
Method: Oven / Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

* This recipe makes enough pasta sauce for 2 batches of pasta (2 lbs pasta or more). I prefer to freeze half of the pasta sauce after cooking for another day. You can, however, halve the sauce recipe if preferred.

For the pasta sauce:

2 lb butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil - OR - 2 tablespoon olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh sage
16 oz (2 cups) vegetable broth - OR - 16 oz (2 cups) chicken broth
4 oz (½ cup) heavy cream
1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
4 tbsp unsalted butter

For the remaining pasta dish:

1 lb pasta of your preference, can be gluten-free if needed (I prefer bucatini)
1 lb ground chorizo sausage
Optional: grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, to top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F / 220 C. Line a baker's half sheet with parchment paper and reserve to the side.
Prep the butternut squash. On a cutting board, position the butternut squash horizontally on its side. Using a chef’s knife, slice the stem end of the butternut squash off as well as about ½ inch off the bottom. Then carefully slice the squash in half vertically. I find that this is easiest to do with it standing upright on its newly trimmed, flat bottom end. Using a regular large flatware spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Transfer the squash to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, flesh side up. Using a basting brush (or your fingertips in a pinch), brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed flesh of the squash.
Transfer the squash to the oven and roast until fork-tender. Depending on the size of your squash and whether you used several small squashes or one large one, this usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 75 minutes so you'll want to check at the 45-minute mark if you are using several smaller squashes. Once fork-tender, reserve to the side to cool.
While the squash is roasting, brown the chorizo. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat brown the chorizo until cooked through about 5-8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks. Then remove from heat and reserve to the side.
Once the squash has been removed from the oven to cool, start your pasta. Cook to al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking. Once cooked, carefully remove about 1 cup or ladleful of starchy pasta water to a mug or bowl and reserve to the side. Carefully drain the pasta, and reserve to the side.
Heat a dutch oven or large saucepan (you can use the same pot you cooked the pasta in) on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + minced garlic) to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add the fresh sage leaves to the pan and cook for about a minute then transfer the butternut squash flesh to the pan. To do this, hold the squash with a clean kitchen towel, then taking a spoon, carefully scoop out the soft squash flesh and add it to the pan. The flesh should remove easily from the skin and you can discard it.
Add the vegetable broth (or chicken broth) and heavy cream to the pot, then season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon curry powder, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, stirring to combine. As the mixture simmers, the squash will break down and soften further. I like to use a wooden spoon or spatula to help break up some of the squash as it cooks. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until creamy and smooth.
Return the pot to the stove to simmer for another 5 minutes then add the butter and stir to melt and emulsify. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed, then lower the heat to medium-low. As this recipe makes a double batch of pasta sauce (enough for 2 lbs of pasta), I generally remove half of it at the point to a storage container and reserve it to the side to cool, then transfer to the freezer for future use.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the pot with the remaining sauce, gently tossing to combine. You can also add the chorizo to the pot at this time, or serve on the side for people to dress their bowls as desired. Cook pasta and sauce together for about 2 minutes to allow everything to heat through. If the pasta sauce is too thick, you can thin with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your preferred thinness. Serve immediately with an optional measure of grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2.66 oz pasta + sauce)
Calories: 776
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 1385 mg
Fat: 43 g
Saturated Fat: 21 g
Carbohydrates: 78 g
Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 26 g
Cholesterol: 113 mg

Keywords: butternut squash, chorizo, sage