SAUSAGE & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SHELLS

Sausage & butternut squash shells image

Cook up sausage, butternut squash, fennel, spring onions and pasta to make this healthy, low calorie pasta dish. It's full of flavour and low cost too

Provided by Sophie Godwin - Cookery writer

Categories Dinner, Main course, Pasta, Supper

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash , peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves , crushed
1 fennel bulb , thinly sliced (keep the green fronds to serve)
4 spring onions , thinly sliced
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
300g large pasta shells
3 pork sausages

Steps:

Put the squash in a microwaveable bowl with a splash of water. Cover with cling film and cook on high for 10 mins until soft. Tip into a blender.
Meanwhile, put a frying pan over a medium heat and pour in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic, sliced fennel, spring onions, half the chilli flakes, half the fennel seeds and a splash of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins until softened. Scrape into the blender with squash. Blitz to a smooth sauce, adding enough water to get to a creamy consistency. Season to taste.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 1 min less than the pack instructions. Put the frying pan back on the heat (don't bother washing it first - it's all flavour). Pour in the remaining oil, squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins into the pan and add the remaining chilli and remaining fennel seeds. Fry until browned and crisp, breaking down the sausagemeat with a spoon.
Drain the pasta and return to its pan on the heat. Pour in the butternut sauce and give everything a good mix to warm the sauce through. Divide between bowls and top with the crispy sausage mix and fennel fronds.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 462 calories, Fat 16 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 60 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 9 grams fiber, Protein 15 grams protein, Sodium 0.7 milligram of sodium