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A brown bowl filled with Butternut Squash Mushroom Pasta that's topped with parmesan cheese, all on a burnt orange linen tablecloth.
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Butternut Squash Mushroom Pasta

This butternut squash pasta dish is the perfect fall meal. It's EASY to make and absolutely delicious. The pasta is full of sweet Italian sausage, butternut squash, mushrooms, and covered with a browned butter and sage sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 444kcal
Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

  • 1 lb penne
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 (heaping) cups butternut squash diced into 1/2-1 inch cubes.
  • 10 oz white mushrooms sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add 1 T of kosher salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the water. Reserving 1 ½ cups of pasta water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, grab a skillet and brown the sausage over medium heat. Breaking up the sausage into little pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate. 
  • Discard the sausage drippings, if any. 
  • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the now empty skillet. Add the cubed butternut squash to the skillet. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fork tender and the mushrooms have softened and browned. About 3-4 more minutes. Transfer the cooked squash and mushrooms to the pot with the drained pasta.
  • Add the butter to the skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. The butter will begin to foam and then small golden specks will appear towards the bottom of the skillet. (Easiest to use a white colored skillet if possible). The butter will have a nice nutty aroma to it. 
  • Remove the butter from the heat. Add the sage leaves to the butter and stir. 
  • Add the sausage and butternut squash to the pasta. Pour the sage butter overtop and mix everything to combine. Sprinkle the parmesan overtop and stir to incorporate. Add pasta water to loosen up the noodles. I added about 1 cup of the pasta water to the pasta. You can gauge how much you'd like to add. 
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. 
For an in-depth look at how to brown butter, along with tips and FAQS, check out my How to Brown Butter post! 

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 1.4mg