Rustic Hearty Fall Pasta

Jamie and I had some sausage from Faicco's for breakfast on Sunday which inspired me to make a pasta with sausage. I love using sausage with Swiss Chard or kale, so I decided to make a fall pasta with Swiss Chard, sausage, butternut squash for sweetness, and some white beans (because I had them). It was a good Sunday night dinner and we had plenty leftover. I used orecchiette because Jamie loves little pastas and it goes well with sausage.

Ingredients:
1 hot and 1 sweet sausage link (can use more if you want)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped, separated into leaves and stems
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
orecchiette (or your choice of pasta)

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 450. Toss butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, the red peppers flakes, and plenty of salt and pepper and roast until tender (about 30-45 minutes).

Meanwhile, remove sausage casings and heat 1 tbsp olive oil in cast iron skillet. Add the sausage, onion, shallot, and Swiss Chard stems, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the onions begin to soften, add the garlic and stir until pungent.

Then add the Swiss Chard, one handful at a time. (It shrinks down a lot.)

Once all of the Swiss Chard has been cooked (see above), add the white beans and the chicken broth. Meanwhile, start to boil water in a large pot. Once the beans are warmed through, add the butternut squash and gently stir. Let the chicken broth cook down a bit, then flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Once water is boiling, add salt and cook orecchiette until al dente, about 10 minutes.

Serve with orechiette and top with a little bit of butter (if you want) and some Pecorino Romano cheese.