It's time to start spring cleaning! In my house this often means finding what I put in the freezer months ago. Yesterday, I found some frozen butternut squash. (Don't worry if you don't have the frozen squash; you can replace it with canned pumpkin) I started searching for recipes to use my squash and my new Mulay's Italian Sausage. I settled on a baked pasta dish which would use some fresh herbs.I have noticed I am a lot more particular about what types of products that I purchase lately. Sometimes I leave stores that don't have the products that I want. Mulay's Sausage is antibiotic free, supports sustainable farming practices, and is allergen free. Simply put, it's pork and spices. I was pleasantly surprised with how nicely it cooked on the skillet, and I had to taste it since it looked so good; it tasted delicious!
INGREDIENTS:
- Mulay's Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 pound of penne pasta
- 2-3 cups of mashed, cooked squash or 1 can solid packed pumpkin (15 oz)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 T Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 t minced garlic
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t pepper
- 1/4 t red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook sausage in skillet. Remove sausage and set aside.
- Add squash, tomato paste, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, basil, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Mix and allow to cook 5-7 minutes.
- While squash mixture is cooking, prepare pasta. Drain.
- Add sausage to squash mixture. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add pasta to skillet. Mix well.
- Place half of pasta mixture into baking dish. Add a layer of spinach. Place remaining pasta on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove foil. Cover with cheeses and leaves of thyme. Cook uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
DIFFICULTY: Medium
TIME: 45 minutes
SOURCE: Modified from Pinterest
