Description
A delicious creamy rigatoni dish featuring tender butternut squash, spicy Italian sausage, Swiss chard, and a rich sauce made with crème fraîche and Parmesan. This hearty pasta combines savory flavors with a hint of heat from red chili flakes, perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables and Sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, thick stems removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta and Sauce
- 8 ounces rigatoni
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Butternut Squash: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the diced butternut squash and cook until lightly browned and beginning to tenderize, about 6-7 minutes.
- Cook Onion and Sausage: Add the diced red onion to the pan and sauté until tender, approximately 4 minutes. Add the spicy Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces, and cook until browned, around 3 minutes.
- Add Garlic, Swiss Chard, and Spices: Stir in the minced garlic, chopped Swiss chard, and red chili flakes. Cook until the Swiss chard wilts, about 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then keep warm.
- Cook Rigatoni: While the sausage and vegetables cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Combine and Finish: Immediately add the drained rigatoni to the sausage and vegetable mixture. Pour in the reserved pasta water, crème fraîche, and grated Parmesan. Stir well to coat the pasta in the creamy sauce and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Sprinkle extra Parmesan on top and serve the pasta immediately while hot.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the spicy Italian sausage with spicy vegetarian sausage or soyrizo.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
- Be careful not to overcook the butternut squash; it should be tender but not mushy before combining.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
