Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Spicy Sausage

Last night I tried a new recipe that I thought would be great for fall - Giada's Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Spicy Sausage. It was absolutely delicious! The combination of butternut squash and arugula made this dish taste great. The only thing I think I will try different next time is to either greatly reduce or eliminate the parmesan cheese in the dish and just let everyone add their own, and add a bit more salt and some pepper. I personally think Giada goes a bit heavy on parmesan in her recipes and I'm sensitive to too much dairy. I love parmesan but I think this would still taste great without so much cheese in it.

To make this easier on myself, I peeled and diced my butternut squash the night before and stored it in the refrigerator until I needed it. I used ground sage sausage from a local Amish market instead of spicy sausage. I also did not end up needing any of the pasta water but it's a good idea to have some reserved just in case. If you use baby arugula there really isn't any reason to chop it. If you do the prep work with the butternut squash ahead of time, this meal comes together quickly and easily. It's very filling and delicious - all you need to add is some good Italian bread!

Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Spicy Sausage

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis

1 pound mezzi rigatoni pasta

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 3 Tablespoons for finishing

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch pieces

1½ cups water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 cups roughly chopped baby arugula

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until just al dente. Drain well reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into bite-sized pieces, until the sausage is cooked through.

Add the diced squash to the pan and stir to combine. Add the 1½ cups water and season with the salt. Using the wooden spoon, make sure all of the squash is submerged. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the squash is tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and ¾ cup Parmesan. Stir vigorously to combine, breaking up the squash slightly as you go and thinning with pasta water as needed until the pasta is coated in a light and creamy sauce.

Stir in the arugula and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook just until the arugula is wilted. Serve topped with the remaining Parmesan.

Yield: 4-6 servings.