Creamy Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta Recipe

Q: Can I Make Butternut Squash Rigatoni Ahead of Time?

I would not make the entire Butternut Squash Rigatoni in advance. The pasta always gets mushy when you reheat it, and that’s not pleasant at all! Plus, I fear that the cooked sausage may dry out. What you can do to save some time is to make the butternut squash sauce ahead of time, as this is the longest process in the recipe (and it stays good in the fridge!). Simply follow the steps until the sauce has been pureed, then cook the pasta and sausage fresh and finish up your sauce with butter when it is time to eat! Store the pureed butternut squash pasta sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for at most two weeks - there is no dairy in it, so it should last quite some time! If you’re storing the sauce with the cream added to it by following all the steps of the recipe, then this will reduce the fridge-life of the sauce. I would keep it for 7 to 10 days, depending on how fresh your cream was.

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About this recipe

Creamy butternut squash pasta sauce meets savory sausage in this easy, satisfying dinner. Rich, velvety, and simple to make, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage Recipe

Happy 2024, and the first recipe of the year! Of course we’re going to start off with a bang with a hearty pasta recipe!

Making this combination of sausage and butternut squash in a pasta dish has actually been on my bucket list since last winter, and I only finally got around to first trying it out around November of 2023! My first iteration of this recipe consisted of mixing the sausage with the cubes of butternut squash and adding in the pasta. However, the second time I’ve made this dish, I pureed the butternut squash to make it into one of the most delicious pasta sauces I’ve ever had!

If you want to get the new year started on the right foot by cooking at home more, my Live to Cook one-month challenge is the perfect opportunity to motivate you! If you’ve always wanted to make a butternut squash sausage pasta too, now is the time to check it off your bucket list just like I did! You can get started for free today by signing up to my free email newsletter, and you’ll receive all of my latest recipes right in your inbox so you never have to struggle with dinner ideas again!

If you want to follow along as we make this rigatoni with butternut squash and spicy sausage, check out the video! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and be sure to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live along with the written ones! Let’s get cooking!

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach served in a white bowl on gray surface.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

Simple process: It may seem like there is a lot going on in this recipe, but the longest part of this recipe is actually making your butternut squash sauce! Afterward, you’re just cooking the sausage, pasta, and combining!
Nutritious: We’ve got a very balanced meal here. Butternut squash is high in fiber that will help keep you full. You’ll also find the protein from the sausage filling. We’ve got healthy fats from our olive oil and a good dose of Vitamin K from the spinach!
Winter comfort: Butternut squash is in season right now, so make the most out of it! Not only is this recipe using a seasonal vegetable, but it will be piping hot when you serve it to warm you up on a cold winter night!
Family-friendly: You can really make a big batch of sauce to make as much pasta as you need! Check out the recipe card to scale it based on how many mouths you’ll want to feed. Kids and adults adore a good hearty pasta, plus this will help the little ones get in their essential nutrients while it being tasty!

Creamy butternut squash sausage pasta garnished with green herbs in white bowls.

Tools Needed for Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients for Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

Check out the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button, where you can save the recipe for later and refer to the full list of ingredients and their quantities. You can also scale the recipe based on how many butternut squashes you want to cook or to see how many butternut squashes you’ll need to serve your friends and family! No need to do mental math!

Ingredients for butternut squash sausage pasta: sausage, butter, diced onions, rigatoni pasta, and spices arranged on counter.

Rigatoni: If you don’t have rigatoni, other suitable substitutes include penne rigate, fusilli and rotini. As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, I recommend you always go for a suitable substitute if you have it instead of going out to buy something new! While pasta lasts forever, I personally don’t like the clutter of having so many different pasta shapes in the pantry. If you’ve got any of the other shapes mentioned above but not rigatoni, then finish those up first!
Sausage. I’m using a combination of chorizo sausage and andouille sausage. You can use your favourite kind of sausage for this recipe, but I’ve found a combination of chorizo and andouille gave the best results!
Onions: You want finely chopped onions. I’m using red onions, but feel free to use your favourite kind.
Butternut squash: The star of our sauce here! We’ll cut it into cubes and sauté it to make our sauce. Then, we’ll blend the mixture and you’ve got a smooth and delicious sauce!
Garlic: Combined with the butternut squash and onions. You want to mince your fresh garlic cloves.
Extra virgin olive oil: To sauté everything mentioned above.
Dried spices: We’ve already got lots of flavours from our butternut squash and garlic, but to enhance those flavours, we’ll season the vegetables with dried sage, dried oregano, and some red chili flakes for some heat.
Vegetable broth: Helps get flavour and the perfect texture in the butternut squash puree. Add this to the blender.
Butter: We’ll add butter when we cook our sauce to make it ultra glossy and even more delicious!
Spinach: Some greens in here to add some extra colour and even more nutrition! Spinach is a great source of Vitamin K and iron. If you’re typically not a big spinach eater, then adding some to pasta is a perfect way to sneak it in, especially for kids!
Salt and pepper: Always add these to taste.
10% cream: Also known as “half and half” because it is composed of half whole milk and half light cream. I like to use half and half cream sometimes to add creaminess while not making a sauce too rich. A splash of this will really bring the butternut squash sauce together!
Parmesan cheese: To complete the dish! In my opinion, Parmesan completes pretty much any pasta dish!

How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash & Sausage Pasta

Heat a pan on medium heat and then add 2 tsp of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute until onions soften and turn translucent.

Add the diced butternut squash.

Olive oil shimmering in a gray skillet on an induction cooktop, ready for sautéing onions and garlic.

Diced pink onions being poured into a dark skillet with olive oil on an induction cooktop.

Diced pink onions and garlic sautéing in olive oil in a dark skillet on a stovetop.

Diced ham and onions sautéing in a dark skillet on a stovetop.

Seasoning with a pinch of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and mix well. Cook with the lid on for 10-15 minutes or until the squash starts to soften.

Diced butternut squash cooking in a skillet on an induction cooktop with lid partially visible.

Diced butternut squash cooking in a skillet on the stovetop with oil being drizzled in.

Diced butternut squash and onions cooking in a skillet with lid on stovetop, hand stirring with wooden spoon.

Add oregano and sage, mix well and continue to cook with lid on for 2-3 more mins or until you can easily break the squash with the end of a wooden/silicon spoon.

Diced butternut squash cooking in a skillet with a wooden spoon stirring the mixture.

Diced butternut squash cooking in a skillet with seasonings on the stovetop.

Transfer the mixture from the pan to a food processor, add vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Set aside for later.

Blending roasted butternut squash mixture in a food processor with a hand blender.

Butternut squash and sausage mixture blended smooth in a food processor.

To cook the sausage, heat a pan on medium and then add 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until it has browned. Break and large lumps of sausage as you continue to cook it.

Sausage browning in a skillet with olive oil on a stovetop, with a red spatula nearby.

Two browned sausages cooking in a black skillet on a stovetop with oil.

Ground sausage being stirred with a wooden spatula in a skillet during cooking.

In the meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Once boiling, season the water with salt and add the rigatoni. Cook until al dente.

Large pot of boiling water with pasta being added, sitting on stovetop burner.

Add the spinach leaves and cook until it has shriveled up and turns the mixture fragrant.

Fresh spinach leaves being added to cooked sausage in a skillet during pasta preparation.

Ground sausage and fresh spinach cooking in a skillet with a wooden spoon stirring the mixture.

Add 3 ladles or about 2 1/2 to 3 Cups of the butternut squash sauce from earlier. Reserve any remaining sauce for another portion of pasta or use it all if you are doubling the other ingredients.

Butternut squash sauce being poured into a pan with cooked ground sausage and spinach on a stovetop.

Creamy butternut squash sauce with sausage and spinach simmering in a pan on the stove.

Mix well and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add the cooked pasta and taste for seasoning. The dish should be slightly under-seasoned at this point.

Creamy butternut squash pasta simmering in a pan with penne pasta and green herbs visible.

Creamy butternut squash pasta with penne and fresh herbs being stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Add the butter, cream and parmesan cheese and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out using the pasta water until it gets to your preferred consistency.

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage in a skillet, garnished with fresh herbs and melted cheese.

Taste and adjust for seasoning and serve right away with more parmesan as needed.

Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage served in a white bowl, being eaten with a wooden spoon.

Tips to Make a Luscious Sausage and Butternut Squash Pasta

Make sure to cut the butternut squash evenly into a small dice so that the squash cooks evenly and you get a consistent result while blending it.
Make sure to use a powerful blender for the smoothest sauce. Personally, a Vitamix has always worked well for me!
Season at every step with bits of salt to layer flavours and make sure to taste at every step when possible.
Be sure to start tasting the pasta around the 7-minute mark and take it off the heat when it is close to al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce, so you want to be careful not to overcook it for the best texture.
Reserve the pasta water in case you have reduced the sauce too much. It will help to thin it out and add lots of flavour.

Creamy butternut squash rigatoni with sausage and fresh herbs served in a white bowl.

Can I Make Butternut Squash Rigatoni Ahead of Time?▼

I would not make the entire Butternut Squash Rigatoni in advance. The pasta always gets mushy when you reheat it, and that’s not pleasant at all! Plus, I fear that the cooked sausage may dry out.

What you can do to save some time is to make the butternut squash sauce ahead of time, as this is the longest process in the recipe (and it stays good in the fridge!). Simply follow the steps until the sauce has been pureed, then cook the pasta and sausage fresh and finish up your sauce with butter when it is time to eat! Store the pureed butternut squash pasta sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for at most two weeks - there is no dairy in it, so it should last quite some time! If you’re storing the sauce with the cream added to it by following all the steps of the recipe, then this will reduce the fridge-life of the sauce. I would keep it for 7 to 10 days, depending on how fresh your cream was.

Serving Suggestions for Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage

Vegetables: Garlic Butter Broccoli, roasted peppers or zucchini, or some steamed peas or green beans will add some colour and extra fibre to your meal!
Salad: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad or Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad will be a great side dish to your butternut squash pasta!
Bread: Some good crusty bread like a baguette or Ciabatta adds a great crunch and texture! You could also scoop up the sauce with some nice Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls!

More Comforting Winter Pasta Dishes!

Incredible Lasagna alla Bolognese

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra