Welcome back to my fall grocery budget series! In my latest series, I took a $55 grocery haul and turned it into five nights of healthy dinners. This is the third recipe and it’s one of my favorites because it’s so cozy and crave-worthy. This creamy butternut squash, sausage, and kale pasta is incredibly simple to put together and is shockingly dairy-free and gluten-free. It features some of my favorite fall flavors and also happens to be a budget-friendly dinner that your family will love!

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAUSAGE, & KALE PASTA
CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAUSAGE, & KALE PASTA
3-4
servings10
minutes30
minutesThis pasta will give you incredible fall flavors and cozy vibes, plus it’s so filling!
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
1 + 1/2 – 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt + more as needed to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper + more as needed to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp ground sage + 1/4 tsp ground sage
1 heaping cup shredded kale
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 15oz can full-fat coconut milk, shaken
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
12oz gluten-free pasta of choice, cooked according to package instructions
Directions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, then add the diced onion and cubed butternut squash.
- Cook the onion and squash for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add in the ground pork.
- Break apart the pork with a spatula and let cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the pork is fully browned and the onion is translucent. Meanwhile, fully cook your pasta according to package instructions.
- Mix in the salt, black pepper, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and 1/4 tsp of sage to the pork mixture and let the spices get aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- Incorporate the shredded kale to the mix and let it wilt. Remove the pork mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Stir in the remaining 1/4 tsp of sage and nutritional yeast, and season with additional salt and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix to cover all the pasta in sauce. Add the pork mixture and stir to incorporate.
- For best results, serve and enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- If you’d like, you can swap the coconut milk for regular cream.
- If you don’t like kale, you can leave it out or replace it with spinach.