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butternut squash, sausage and fried sage pasta

a perfect cozy autumnal pasta dish! and it doesn't take too long to make!
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Ingredients  

  • 4 tb extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 lb peeled butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 3/4 lb sausage casings removed*
  • 1/2 cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano or parmesan
  • crème fraîche
  • 20-30 fresh sage leaves

Instructions 

  1. in a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. add the squash, season lightly with salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a plate. add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. add the shallot and sausage and cook over high heat, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through. return the squash to the skillet.
  2. in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
  3. meanwhile, in a small saucepan, fry your sage in a tablespoon of olive oil until darkened and crispy (in batches if necessary). let cool on a plate.
  4. add al dente pasta to the skillet along with the reserved cooking water and the cheese and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. if the pasta needs more creaminess, add some crème fraîche (or butter or ricotta) until you reach your desired creaminess. transfer the pasta to a bowl and sprinkle with some additional cheese and the fried sage.

Notes

*i really recommend not using the entire package of sausage. i think recipes usually call for the whole pound because it’s easiest, but the pasta definitely came out sausage heavy. save the remaining 1/4 for breakfast!