Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta

One of my faaaavorite days of the week is carb day! The day before a long run, I usually try to make sure I get in a good amount of carbs. When carb day just happens to fall on a Friday... *insert praying emoji*

Friday was a weird day. Because I work 9 hour days, I get every other Friday off. The Fridays that I do work are usually quiet and sometimes slow, as most of the rest of the company is off. This particular Friday was super busy. I was running around all day and was very productive (the bright side of a busy day). It hit me at about 2:00 that I was out of planned meals for the week, and just had a few odds and end things in my fridge that wouldn't really come together as a meal. I was trying to think about what I wanted, checked out a few take out menus, but nothing really jumped out or excited me too much. I kept thinking "pasta". But I wanted to do something different; something I haven't tried yet. This fall, I saw a lot of pasta dishes made with various kinds of squash/pumpkin and greens. I thought it was worth a shot! I used a recipe I found as inspo, made a grocery list, and hit the gym. I swung through the grocery store on my way home to grab the ingredients I needed, and headed home.

This was another one that was so ridiculously easy to make. That's what I like to hear! Usually by the time I get home from the gym and get cleaned up, it's after 7. I don't always have time for big extravagant dishes, so I usually save those for the weekend! I love all of the ingredients in this dish separately, so there was no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy them together.

Here's the thing...I hear a lot of people say, "I could never eat like you" or "I don't know how you do it". People think that eating food that's good for you has to be bland, boring, or taste bad. That is sooooo not the case, and it makes me so upset that so many people have that mindset. I promise you, that if the food I make did not taste good or have flavor, I would not be eating it. I GENUINELY enjoy eating the way that I do. I look forward to each and every one of my meals, and basically everything I do revolves around what I am eating. HEALTHY IS NOT BORING. Healthy is magical and delicious!! I promise!

This was seriously sooooo good. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it, and I'm so happy there's about two more servings left (since, as I type this, I am drooling over it... about to go make myself up a plate of leftovers for dinner as we speak). If you're looking for something "different", I highly suggest trying this! You will not regret it, and although you might cry when it's over you will not feel guilty after you eat it!

// gluten free // can be dairy free // serves 3-4 // 356 cals //

ingredients:
1/2 box of Eat Banza penne
3 1/2 cups of butternut squash, cubed
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 or more cups of baby spinach
3 aidell's mild italian chicken sausages (I couldn't find a spicy chicken sausage at the store, but feel free to use one to give it more bite!)
3/4 cup reserved pasta water
generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for dairy-free
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
sprinkle of sage
red pepper flakes to taste

directions: cut butternut squash into cubes, removing the skin. place in pot of water, boiling until fork tender (apps 25-30 minutes). once fork tender, remove the squash with a slotted spoon and place into a food processor. pulse until pureed. put pasta in the same pot of boiling water and cook according to directions (eat banza should boil about 8-9 minutes). in the meantime, add a drizzle of oil in a skillet. cook the chicken sausages on all four sides until browned - about 2 minutes per side. remove from skillet and set aside. add 1 tsp butter to the skillet with the shallots and the garlic. sauté until brown, about 5-7 minutes. add in the butternut squash puree. using a ladle, add about 3/4 cup of the pasta water into the skillet to thin out the sauce. season with sage, sea salt, and pepper to your liking. dice the chicken sausage up into bite size chunks, and add to the sauce. add spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted. sprinkle in cheese or nutritional yeast if using. when the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. stir to combine. top with additional cheese and red pepper flakes.
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste