Creamy Butternut Squash Fettucine Alfredo

I’m sorry, resolutioners, I tried to focus on sparse greens for the month but by the third week I just wanted to stick my face in a bowl of creamy carbs and motorboat.

This chewy fettuccine is smothered in a rich sauce, which is comforting and flavourful, and actually tippy-toes tentatively toward healthy compared to traditional Alfredo.  Pureed squash and chicken broth replace most of the butter and cream, but don’t let that deter you.  It’s not health food.  It’s delicious food.

I started with browned sausage, but after I few bites decided it would have been perfectly satisfying if left vegetarian. So you have options. You could alternatively sub in chicken breast for the sausage. Totally your call.

It’s finished with a liberal showering of freshly cracked black pepper and nutty Parmigiano.  Do you not want to just plant your face mouth-first?

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Creamy Butternut Squash Fettucine Alfredo

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings 6

Dinner

Italian

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp olive oil plus more as needed
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage casings removed
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb peeled butternut squash cut in 1" cubes
• 1 lb 454 grams fettuccine
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• freshly ground black pepper for serving

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until well browned and no longer pink inside.  Transfer to a bowl.
• Add onion to same pot, along with another splash of oil if needed.  Sauté until translucent, then add garlic and cook a minute more.  Add chicken broth, salt and squash and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Cook, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add fettuccine to boiling water and cook 9 minutes or until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain in a colander and return to the pasta pot.
• Transfer squash mixture to blender along with cream and carefully process until very smooth (if your blender doesn't have steam vents, use an immersion blender instead, or else puree in two batches).  Pour over pasta and toss, adding reserved cooking water as needed to thin it out.  Add sausage and toss.  Serve topped with black pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Last Updated on January 19, 2016 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD