Gemelli with Spicy Sausage, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Spinach

This recipe was inspired by autumn! Colorful leaves, crisp air, pumpkin spice-everything! One of my favorite fall vegetables is butternut squash. Butternut squash is in season now through winter, and it has a wonderful rich sweet and nutty flavor. Roasting the butternut squash really brings out the sweetness, which is balanced in this dish by the salty, spicy Italian sausage. Hearty, warm comfort foods are just what I need on cold fall days in Philadelphia like today, and this pasta is just that. It's a delicious and filling meal that really "hits the spot!"

Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta (I used Gemelli, but any shape will do)
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 cup roasted butternut squash (see below)
6 oz. baby spinach, washed and dried
1/2 onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and black pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Roasted Butternut Squash:
1 butternut squash, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of nutmeg
salt and black pepper, to taste

To roast the butternut squash:
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Drizzle the olive oil over the butternut squash cubes. Sprinkle the nutmeg, salt, and black pepper over the squash and toss to combine.

Place the squash on a greased baking pan, and bake for about 25 minutes, turning once about halfway through.

Once slightly browned and tender, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To prepare the pasta:
Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, and fry for about a minute or so. Remove the casings from the Italian sausages and add them to the onions and garlic. Break the meat up with your cooking spoon and cook until the sausage has browned. You may add a touch of salt and black pepper at this point, if you like.

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water, according to the package directions. Drain, but reserve a half cup of the pasta water.



Add the spinach to the browned sausage, and continue cooking until the sausage has begun to wilt. Add the pasta and reserved pasta water. Cook until the water has reduced by about half, and then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

Stir to combine, and then add the roasted butternut squash. Toss gently to combine, and remove from heat.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Here's a little on the nutritional aspects of this meal:

Butternut squash is rich in Vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. The spinach adds an extra healthy punch with Vitamins A, C, K, and folic acid. Adding vegetables to any pasta meal adds extra nutrition and is a wonderful way to get more out of every meal! Another way to increase the nutrition in any pasta meal is to use whole grain pasta instead of the regular pasta. This increases the amount of dietary fiber.