I look forward to this pasta every fall - it has my two favorite pasta ingredients (spicy Italian sausage & fennel) and pulls in an autumnal sweetness from the butternut puree. I love all things spicy so I use spicy sausage and also add red chile flakes - I think it’s a pretty mild heat. You can definitely use mild Italian sausage and hold back on the chile flakes if you have a lower spice tolerance.
Time: about 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
5 servings pasta
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 large fennel bulb, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
3–4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup butternut squash purée, canned
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
For serving, optional:
Freshly grated Parmesan
Red pepper flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper
Something herbal like chives or thyme
Instructions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente.
Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil or butter in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and fennel with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent.
Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and pepper and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the sausage and increase the heat to medium-high. Break it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
Once the sausage is cooked through, let it sit undisturbed for short stretches so it can develop browned, crispy edges.
Add in wine and scrape up any crispy cooked bits from the pan. Continue breaking apart the sausage into small pieces. Once the wine has reduced by half, turn the heat to medium-low.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly and begins to caramelize.
Stir in the butternut squash purée and broth. Mix until smooth and let the sauce gently simmer for 3–5 minutes.
Add in the pasta and about 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and stir until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Stir in the heavy cream.
Add more pasta water, a splash at a time, as needed to reach your preferred consistency. Gently toss until every piece is well coated.
Let the pasta and sauce cook together over low heat for another 2–3 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Stir in the parmesan until melted.
Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and fresh thyme or rosemary.
