Rigatoni with Sausage and Butternut Squash

Over my twenty years of doing The Amateur Gourmet, I’ve been approached by fans a handful of times. Usually the exchange is quick and pleasant: I feel a thrill for being recognized and hopefully they feel a thrill for meeting their favorite nerdy, gay, old-school food blogger. However the exchange goes, I’m always on the same side of it; until a few months ago when the roles reversed and I fan-girled out over meeting my favorite food influencer, Hailee Catalano.

All Hail Hailee

On her videos, Hailee is the loveliest, most calming presence. Would she be the same way in real life? She absolutely was. I was at a loss for words. She made me feel completely at ease and then we ran into each other again at The Great Community Bake Sale and she was once again a doll (her cakes made my cookies look like trolls under a bridge) and I think we’re best friends now?

Naturally, when her book came out a few months ago, I had to buy it. And I’ve been thumbing through it ever since, marveling at the pictures and the recipes, and deciding what I wanted to make first. The answer came on Friday night when I decided to make her Pasta all Norcini with Roasted Squash. As Hailee writes: “This creamy pasta originates from the Umbria region of Italy and usually uses a sausage seasoned with nutmeg. This flavor profile feels very cozy and autumnal to me, so I love adding a bit of roasted squash to really drive home that vibe.” Hailee, I’m in.

I’m Nuts for Nutmeg

Freshly grated nutmeg is one of my favorite spices of all-time (I’m still in mourning for The Barefoot Contessa who insists on using the pre-ground stuff). It’s great in a baked good, but even more delightful in a meaty ragu. This one starts with sausage that you brown really well before adding shallots, garlic, and the aforementioned nutmeg.

From there, you add white wine (I used an Italian one) and, gird your loins: heavy cream.

Once that cooks down, you could stop, add the pasta, and call it dinner. But Hailee has you go one step further and add squash: a diced butternut squash that you roast at 425 until golden brown.

To bring this baby together, you boil rigatoni in well-salted water and finish it in the pan with the cream sauce, adding Pecorino and pasta water, to make it extra creamy. Then you add the squash.

You carefully stir that in, ladle into pasta bowls, and sprinkle with more nutmeg and cheese.

This dinner was a huge hit. Craig, who doesn’t always love a pasta for dinner, was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over it. He said, “You’re such a good cook.” I said, “It’s not me. It’s Hailee Catalano. She’s my everything!” He looked at me, confused, and went back to eating. But my best friend Hailee and I know a thing or two about making a good pasta: we’re totes going to gab about it the next time we hang.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Butternut Squash

A cozy combo of sausage, garlic, wine, cream, and butternut squash from Hailee Catalano's cookbook.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 small butternut squash about 24 ounces, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage casings removed (I used sweet Italian and it worked great too)
• 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 2 large shallots minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg plus more for topping
• 3/4 cup dry white wine preferably Italian
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound dry mezze rigatoni
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano plus more for serving

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 425. On a cookie sheet, toss the squash with a liberal pour of olive oil (about 1/4 cup), salt and pepper, and spread out. Roast, tossing halfway through, until tender and caramelized but not mushy; 30 to 35 minutes (mine was done closer to 20, probably because I cut the squash a little smaller).
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
3. Heat another large pot over medium-high heat. coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Add the sausage, and cook, breaking up the meat into bite-size chunks, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. (The sausage won’t be fully cooked.)
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with the wine, and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to very low to keep the sauce warm while the pasta cooks, about 10 minutes.
7. Generously salt the boiling water and drop in the rigatoni. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. Lift the pasta with a spider tool into the pot with the sausage.
8. Add a splash of pasta water and pecorino Romano to the pot, and toss to combine. Cook, adding splashes of pasta water as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta nicely, 1 or 2 minutes. (I cooked it down until all the liquid was absorbed, but that’s just me.)
9. Turn off the heat, and gently stir in the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, topped with more pecorino Romano and a small grating of fresh nutmeg.