Ever since the weather started to change and the temperature started to drop I have been thinking about the first fall inspired dish I wanted to make.  Add into the mix that I have been really curious about how to cook with Sage and you have my first fall inspired dish.  I decided to make a very rich and filling pasta dish with Butternut Squash, Sweet Italian Sausage, spinach, rigatoni and I finished it with a sage and brown butter sauce.  Although this seems like a very simple sauté and be done with it kind of dish, this actually took longer than expected.  I made everything separately but in the same pan so that I didn’t miss out on any of the flavors left at the bottom of the pan.  This is a very warm dish and will leave you feeling full and content. Be prepared for a nap or a good zone out in front of the TV after you have eaten.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Rigatoni

Half of small Butternut squash

1 pound Italian Sausage

1 cup uncooked spinach

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 pound rigatoni

1 stick unsalted butter

1 lemon

8 sage leaves

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Red Chili Flakes

Recipe

Preheat heat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet place the butternut squash and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Bake the squash until it is soft and starting to brown around the edges; approximately 40 minutes.  In a large dutch oven or pan brown the sausage until cooked.  Once the squash is cooked, take out of the oven and cut into inch sized cubes and add it to the hot dutch oven with the sausage.  In a separate pot bring a pot a of water to boil, salt the water and cook the rigatoni.  Once the pasta is cooked, reserve half a cup of the pasta water and add the pasta and water to the hot dutch oven and scrape the bottom to make sure you get all the bits off the bottom.  In a small separate pan, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted take off the heat and add the sage leaves and cook until fragrant.  Zest the lemon into the butter mixture, add 1 teaspoon of the chili flakes and squeeze the lemon juice into the mixture.  Stir to combine the sauce and then add it to the pasta mixture.  Fold in the spinach and parmesan cheese at the end.  I do not like to cook the spinach before adding it to the dish as I like the texture better of uncooked spinach and I like the color that it adds to the dish.  Season with the dish with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with a little more parmesan cheese on the top.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!