Butternut Squash And Feta Pasta

A viral fall recipe featuring butternut squash, feta cheese, and sweet Italian sausage, tossed with pasta.

By @cookingwithcar

Original recipe source

Cook time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 block of feta cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme and sage
• 1 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 box pasta of your choice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 cup pasta water
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup pasta water
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 0.5 cup pasta water

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. In a 9x13 baking pan, add the peeled and cubed squash. Nestle the block of feta cheese in the center. Drizzle the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil over the squash and feta. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and spices to taste.
3. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 40-50 minutes, or until the squash is very soft and fork-tender.
4. While the squash is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
5. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil. Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble it into the pan along with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, then set aside.
6. Once the squash is done roasting, transfer it to a high-speed blender and add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth, being careful with blending a hot mixture.
7. In a large pot, combine the blended sauce with the cooked pasta, sautéed sausage, the rest of your pasta water and fresh spinach. Toss everything together until well coated.