Pasta With Sausage, Squash and Sage Brown Butter

Source: NY Times

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1  pound cupped or tubed pasta, like orecchiette or penne
  • 1  pound sausage
  • 2  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pasta
  • 1 1/2 pounds of winter squash
    • butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
    • OR 2 delicata squash, cut into rings
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6  tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8  sage leaves
  • ½  cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. 
  2. Cook the sausage: Cook sausage, making sure it is nicely browned. Remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate.
  3. Add squash and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring briefly and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. While the squash is browning, add pasta to boiling water; cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  5. When the squash is nicely browned, add the butter and sage and cook until the butter is golden, nutty smelling and foaming, just a minute or two, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and add back the sausage.
  6. Add the pasta to the pan and mix with the brown-butter sauce (if the pasta has cooled off quite a bit, return the pan to low heat while you combine everything). Stir in the cheese, then add pasta water as needed to smooth the sauce. Adjust with salt and pepper, and serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.