Colorful butternut squash noodles are tossed with spaghetti, kale, plant-based Italian sausage, and fresh sage in this quick and comforting dinner recipe. Vegan and easily made gluten-free, this spiralized butternut squash dish is on the table in just 30 minutes!
Why You'll Love It
Butternut squash is perfect for creating "noodles" with a spiralizer because unlike softer summer squashes, it holds up well but still cooks quickly.
And since we're only using the neck of the squash for this recipe, it's actually really easy to prepare, too. You can save the remainder of the squash to roast the next day or toss into a soup or stew.
Combined with pasta, kale, zesty vegan sausage crumbles, and simmered with a simple white wine sauce, if you ask me, dinner doesn't get much better than this!
You can feel good about eating your veggies while also satisfying a comfort food craving. I also love that this dish feels a little bit fancy, while actually being pretty darn simple!
Ingredients
- butternut squash - choose a squash with a large neck since this is the part you'll use to create noodles.
- pasta - We enjoy the addition of spaghetti or angel hair because it adds another texture and makes the dish more filling. Feel free to use a whole-grain or gluten-free pasta. Alternatively, skip the pasta and double up on the butternut squash noodles.
- Italian sausage - choose a flavorful and rich vegan sausage, like my tofu sausage crumbles, or go with a store-bought option like Beyond or Tofurky.
- sage - fresh sage really takes the flavor up a notch!
- dry white wine - adds nice acidity to the dish. Look for a crisp, tart variety like Sauvignon Blanc, a light/unoaked Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio.
- vegan cheese - I used Violife Just Like Parm, but homemade vegan parmesan is also great.
Tip! Many wine makers use non-vegan ingredients to filter their wines. You can find more info about vegan white wines here, and use barnivore.com to check the status of particular brands.
See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions
How to Make Butternut Squash Noodles
First, heat a pot of water for the pasta, and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, cut through the squash to separate the neck from the round part. Peel it, and use a spiralizer to create noodles. Use kitchen scissors to cut the squash noodles so they're not too long.
In a large sauté pan, brown the crumbled sausage. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Add the butternut noodles and the white wine. Cover and cook until the squash is just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the kale and the remaining sauce ingredients, and simmer for a few minutes until the kale is wilted and dark green.
Finally, fold in the cooked pasta and vegan Parm, if using, and serve hot.
Pretty easy, right?!
Gluten-Free Option
Use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti, or simply double up on the butternut squash noodles.
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Finding gluten-free vegan sausage is a bit trickier since most store-bought brands and vegan sausage recipes are made with vital wheat gluten. Beyond Meat's sausages are gluten-free, so that's an easy option. Try the hot Italian flavor!
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover butternut squash noodles in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It reheats best on the stovetop or briefly in the microwave.
Freezing not recommended.
I know you'll LOVE Butternut Squash Noodles because it's:
Comforting
Colorful
Savory
Warm
Balanced
A little fancy
And so easy to prepare!
And don't we all find ourselves with leftover fresh sage this time of year? You know how it goes... you buy sage at the grocery store for one or two recipes (hello, vegan cornbread dressing), and then stare at it for the next couple of weeks every time you open the produce drawer.
Well, now you have another way to use up that fresh sage! You can also use it in this lusciously creamy Barley Risotto.
If you try these butternut squash noodles recipe I would love to hear from you! Be sure to leave a comment and star rating below to let everyone know how it turned out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And if you share a photo on instagram tag me with @myquietkitchen. Enjoy!
More Winter Squash Recipes
Recipe
Butternut Squash Noodles With Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash neck - about 14 oz.
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 3 links vegan Italian sausage - see Note 2
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil - see Note 1
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage - about 8 large leaves
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- sea salt - to taste
- ⅔ cup dry white wine - a tart and crisp variety such as Sauvignon Blanc; see Notes
- 1 bunch kale, chopped - thick stems removed
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk, plain and unsweetened - such as soy or almond
- 1 Tablespoon stoneground mustard
- 1½ to 2 ounces grated vegan Parmesan cheese - I used Violife
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain in a colander.
- If using whole sausage links, crumble into bite-size chunks, and set aside.
- Cut through the butternut squash to separate the neck from the lower, round part. We only need the neck of the squash for the spiralizer (save the other part to roast or add to a soup). Peel the neck of the squash and spiralize it on a thin noodle setting. Use kitchen scissors to cut the strands into a length similar to spaghetti.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Cook the sausage for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Stirring, cook for 1 minute.
- Add the butternut squash noodles to the pan, and toss to combine. Add the wine, cover, and cook until the squash is just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Add the kale and toss to combine. Stir in the milk and mustard and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add about half of the pasta and toss to combine. Add the cheese and remaining pasta and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Margaret says
Delicious and colorful. I tried Violife Parmesan for the first time and it was really good. For sausage, our go-to brand is Field Roast. We don't eat much pasta, but I tried Angel Hair with Jerusalem Artichoke inulin, which I had never heard of. It was really nice! I may need to purchase a different spiralizer, though. I tried the one my partner gave me for Christmas and it was way too much work!
Bec says
Love using butternut squash - it's so much healthier!
And giving us an extra recipe for sage is inspired - thanks!