Description
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.
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 tbsp 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 (1/2 cup) heavy cream
- 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 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 1/2 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 tbsp 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 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp curry powder, and 1/4 tsp 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