pasta with butternut squash, sweet italian sausage & sage

I once had a dish with Butternut Squash, Sweet Italian Sausage & Sage with penne pasta at a restaurant called Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield, Connecticut.  It was so delicious and only available in the fall.  Fall is here.  The cool air and turning leaves and big fat butternut squash at The Double L was reminding my taste buds of this yummy concoction.  So I googled the ingredients and found this recipe on a blog called Closet Cooking.  I made it Sunday eve for supper and boy was it out of this world.  Everett ate two huge bowls.  I had it for lunch on Monday.  It was even tastier.  Try it!  You will like it!  A perfect fall meal. oh one more thought to add;  It was a cinch to make.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic chopped)
red chili pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons sage (chopped)
2 links Italian sausage (casings removed and crumbled)
1 splash white wine (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 bunch Swiss chard (optional, rinsed and cut into bit sized pieces)
1 pound pasta
1 splash heavy cream (optional)
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated)

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and sage and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the sausage and saute until cooked, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
6. Add the chicken stock, squash and and chard simmer until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Cook your pasta.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with a splash of heavy cream and remove from heat.
9. Plate and garnish with parmigiano reggiano.

photo and recipe from closet cooking