
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Fresh Sage
This keto friendly sausage and butternut squash dish is a cinch to prepare and is packed with flavor. This roasted butternut squash and sausage recipe is surprisingly low in calories. It’s so good, you won’t believe that it is diet friendly. The sausage flavor balances perfectly with the butternut squash and fresh sage. I also add a little spinach to the dish for a little extra color and vitamins. This sheet pan recipe is so easy to prepare and is filling enough to serve as a main course. The recipe calls for a three pound butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into one inch pieces, often you can find butternut squash already cut in the supermarket which will greatly reduce the prep time. Roasting the sausage and butternut squash in the oven results in butternut squash that is a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Butternut squash season is almost over so I recommend making this recipe before the end of March. I like to serve it with an arugula salad on the side and a crispy baguette for those not watching their carbs.
Some Other Variations:
You can serve the roasted butternut squash and sausage over pasta with a sage butter sauce. If you choose to serve it with pasta then do not roast the sage with the sausage and butternut squash. Sauté chopped shallots with a little olive oil, add sage leaves and butter to pan. Toss with pasta of your choice and then mix in the roasted butternut squash and sausage.
Another option is to serve the roasted butternut squash and sausage as a side dish. Doubling the amount of spinach in the dish will create an interesting leafy green side dish that pairs well with roasted or grilled chicken. Try serving it on top of thinly pounded chicken paillard.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sausage and Fresh Sage
Ingredients
- 1 3lb butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ lb sweet Italian sausage casing removed
- ¼ lb spicy Italian sausage casing removed
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 fresh sage leaves chiffonade
- 1 cup chopped spinach blanched and water squeezed out.
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Toss butternut squash with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and some ground black pepper
- Place on a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper
- Roast in oven for 15 minutes
- mix hot and sweet sausage together
- Remove pan from oven, toss squash and scatter ½ inch sausage pieces and sage on pan
- Continue to roast for 20 more minutes.
- Remove from oven, add spinach and roast for another 5-10 minutes until done