Recipes Pasta with Roasted Squash, Sausage and Pecans 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review Emeril Lagasse tosses pasta with sausage, butternut squash, sage, and pecans for a terrific, hearty dish. By Emeril Lagasse Emeril Lagasse Instagram Emeril Lagassé is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. He has an eponymous restaurant, a test kitchen for cookbook and recipe development, and a boutique shop for his signature products in New Orleans. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 28, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Con Poulos Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper Freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon chopped sage, plus 20 whole leaves 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 1 pound fusilli or other curly pasta 1/4 cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese, plus more for serving Directions Preheat the oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of oil and toss. Arrange in an even layer and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bake for about 30 minutes, until just tender. Add the chopped sage and toss. Meanwhile, put the pecans in a pie plate and bake for about 4 minutes, until toasted. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the whole sage leaves and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, 2 minutes. Transfer the leaves to a plate and pour the butter into a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the sausage to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the sausage, until no pink remains, 7 minutes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the sausage and melted butter and gradually stir in the cooking water over moderate heat. Gently fold in the squash, pecans and the 1/4 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Scatter the sage on top and serve with more cheese. Suggested Pairing Minerally, intensely berried Spanish red. Rate it Print