Pantry Clear Out Recipe 2 - Shells with Butternut Squash, Leeks and Spicy Sausage

In my research for the Pantry Inventory Reduction Task this week, I saw a recipe from Marcella that uses butternut squash and onions, and another using spicy sausage, but I wanted squash and sausage, plus I wanted to use leeks instead of onions.

The Colonel got wind of my pasta use-up exercise and I am sure was dreaming of red sauce, which is his favorite pasta. Good old spaghetti and red sauce. While I like that occasionally, I love to do different things with my noodles.

This is an All-In-One meal, with your veggies and meat. Mangia!

Shells with Butternut Squash, Leeks and Spicy Sausage

Adapted loosely from Marcella Hazan

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)

Salt

2 leeks, cut lengthwise and then sliced into ¼” slices

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

12 ounces pasta shells

1/2 cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the squash, season lightly with salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the leeks and sausage and cook over high heat, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through. Return the squash to the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet along with the reserved cooking water and the cheese and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and serve right away.