This Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta is the perfect fall dish!
When I think of fall flavors I think of squash. There are so many different types of squash to choose from!
I went with butternut squash for this pasta recipe. It tastes great and I love the bright orange color.
The first thing you’ll want to do is roast the butternut squash. To prepare the squash you want to cut the ends off then peel the skin.
Using a sharp knife you will cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
I put two cups of the butternut squash in a bowl then added olive oil, salt and black pepper. Then I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and added the squash.
Roast the butternut squash in the oven for 30 minutes.
While the squash is roasting in the oven I get the rest of my ingredients ready.
You can use any type of pasta you want, I used 6 ounces of rigatoni. Penne pasta would work great too. I weighed the pasta before cooking it, 6 ounces of uncooked rigatoni is 18 points.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, then drain.
To keep this recipe healthy I decided to use turkey sausage. You could also use Italian sausage, spicy sausage or even vegan sausage but you’ll want to check the points.
I find turkey sausage at the grocery store in the meat section. It’s usually right by the ground turkey breast.
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s partially cooked add salt, pepper and garlic.
While the sausage was cooking I started getting the light alfredo sauce ready.
Instead of using heavy cream I used skim milk and thickened it with flour. But first I melted a teaspoon of butter in a pan. Then I added garlic and let that cook for about 30 seconds.
Next I added a couple of tablespoons of milk, then added the flour. I used a whisk to keep mixing it together, adding a little bit of milk at a time. Once all of the milk is added bring it to a simmer and occasionally whisk.
After about five minutes the sauce should have thickened. Then I added some salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. It’s a delicious sauce that’s low in points.
Now that everything was ready I needed to mix it all together. I added the butternut squash and noodles to the cooked sausage. Then I poured the sauce over top and used a wooden spoon to mix it all together.
And there you have it, the perfect fall pasta dish!
This would also be a great dish to add spinach to. Just cook the spinach until the greens wilt and stir it in.
If you’d like a little kick of heat you could add red pepper flakes.
The Weight Watchers points for this recipe are 9 points per serving for the blue plan and purple plan, 10 points for the green plan.
Yield: 4 servings (Each serving is approximately 1 1/4 cups. 9 points per serving for blue and purple, 10 points for green.)
- 1/2 lb. turkey sausage
- 6 oz. rigatoni pasta (uncooked)
- 2 cups butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Add the butternut squash to a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the butternut squash onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes.
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Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
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Brown the turkey sausage in a large skillet. Add one clove of garlic, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through.
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Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add two cloves of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add a couple tablespoons of skim milk then whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the rest of the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
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Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the sauce.
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Add the cooked pasta and butternut squash to the sausage then pour the sauce over and stir together.
Here are some more WW friendly recipes:
If you’re looking for some zero point recipes, check out my post 20 Zero Point Recipes or my post 20 (More) Zero Point Recipes. Both are filled with delicious recipes that won’t cost you a single point! They’re perfect for days when you’re running low on points, or trying to save up points for a night out.
If you’re looking for dessert recipes you can visit 50 Weight Watchers Freestyle Desserts. It’s filled with delicious desserts perfect for Weight Watchers!
Are you looking for a meal plan that’s Weight Watchers friendly? I have over 100 meal plans that you can choose from and I post a new one each week. Click here to check them out!
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