Honeynut Squash Ragu

Cold weather is ragu weather in my house. It’s also ubiquitously squash season, which is how Honeynut Squash Ragu came to be! Not only is the honeynut having a moment, but ragu seems to be having a nice little renaissance. And I get it, what’s not to love about this simple, rustic Italian pasta sauce? It’s rich, it’s easy to make, it is low on ingredients and it is a great way to use up any extra wine you have lying around after a party. Or even better yet, make it for a party and use the wine you’ve already opened. A ragu, even a spin on a traditional one, is a cause for celebration.

What is a ragu?

A ragu is traditionally an Italian meat sauce that is served with pasta. The common qualities across all ragu sauces is that they include meat, but the specifics of each ragu varies widely based off of each region. For example, the most common ragu is ragù alla bolognese, which is ground beef, but different varieties can range from ground pork to ground duck, all while including different vegetables and aromatics.

To keep this recipe consistent with what a ragu traditionally is, I opted to use vegetarian sausage. You can use any pork sausage you have as well and the result will be equally delicious. As a honeynut ragu, we lean on the sweetness of the aromatics to marry with the spiciness of the sausage, so it’s a fun take on a classic recipe!

Ingredients you will need for this honeynut ragu

What I love about this honeynut squash ragu is it doesn’t need many ingredients. It uses thyme and flavor balance to its advantage. Here is everything this recipe calls for:

• 2 pounds of honeynut squash
• 12 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 14 ounces plant-based Italian Sausage, I used Beyond Sausage, but regular sausage will do!
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces dried pasta of choice, I prefer spaghetti noodles

How to make a honeynut squash ragu

The crux of this recipe is making your honeynut squash a soft enough base to hold the rest of the recipe. This is why we start by cooking the squash down with the garlic to create a strong base level of flavor.

The step-by-step

• First cube the squash and thinly slice the garlic.
• Prepare a large pot of water on one burner and set a 7-quart Dutch oven on the other burner.
• Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to the Dutch oven and put it over medium heat.
• When the oil has had time to heat up for a few minutes, add the garlic. Let it sizzle for a minute or so, or until it’s just starting to turn slightly golden on the edges.
• Add in the honeynut squash and stir to halt the garlic’s cooking process. Season with a few big pinches of salt.
• Cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is softened and getting mushy.
• Push the squash to one side of the pot, leaving an area open. Break in the vegetarian sausage into this open area and cook it in the oil, break up the pieces and stir occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the sausage begins to brown. Once the sausage is browned on all sides, then you can mix it in with the honeynut squash.
• Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves and many cracks of black pepper. Cook another 4-5 minutes or until the tomato paste is a shade darker in color.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the 3/4 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of water and cover. Leave at a low simmer for 30-35 minutes, checking on it every ten minutes or so to add water as needed. This allows the flavor to build. Near the end, taste and add salt as needed.
• When you have 15 minutes left for the sauce, put the pot of water over high heat. Bring it to a boil and salt with a tablespoon of salt. Boil your pasta according to package instructions.
• When it is al dente, use tongs to transfer it into the ragu sauce.
• Mix the pasta into the sauce, adding splashes of pasta water as needed. I usually end up adding 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
• Portion into four pasta bowls and serve warm.

Ingredient substitutions

If you like substitutions, I like to provide them! Here are a few tweaks you can make to this recipe, if you need it:

• HONEYNUT SQUASH – can be subbed for delicata squash, kabocha squash, butternut squash or acorn squash!
• GARLIC – you can swap this for 1/4 of a yellow onion, one shallot, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, or the bottom white parts of scallions.
• OLIVE OIL – you can swap this for avocado or grapeseed oil.
• PLANT-BASED SAUSAGE – you can use plant-based ground beef, any regular sausage, or crumbled tofu. If doing the tofu option, use extra-firm tofu and add a teaspoon of dried sage and 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds.
• TOMATO PASTE – you can swap this for half of a 14-ounce can of tomato purée. In a pinch you could use an 8-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
• FRESH THYME – swap this for 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, or the same amount of fresh oregano or parsley.
• RED WINE – swap this with dry white wine and you’ll get a similar result!
• PASTA – you can swap this for Aborio rice if you are gluten free! You could also serve this over polenta and it would be delicious.

FAQ

And that’s it for this Honeynut Squash Ragu!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Honeynut Squash Ragu

5 from 1 vote

This ragu uses sausage, honeynut squash, and a balance of aromatics to make a uniquely spicy, rich and savory ragu sauce. If you are a lover of hearty, comforting pasta recipes, this is the perfect pasta to whip up on a chilly night

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:25 minutes mins

Cook Time:50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Fusion, Italian

Keyword: Honeynut squash, pasta, pasta sauce, ragu, vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds honeynut squash
• 12 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 14 ounces plant-based Italian Sausage about 4 links, regular sausage may also be used
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces dried pasta of choice I prefer spaghetti noodles

Instructions

• Core and cube the honeynut squash into 1-centimeter square pieces, but they can be a bit uneven, don’t sweat it.
• Thinly slice 12 garlic cloves.
• Prepare a large pot of water on one burner and set a 7-quart Dutch oven on the other burner.
• Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to the Dutch oven and put it over medium heat.
• When the oil has had time to heat up for a few minutes, add the garlic. Let it sizzle for a minute or so, or until it’s just starting to turn slightly golden on the edges.
• Add in the honeynut squash and stir to halt the garlic’s cooking process. Season with a few big pinches of salt.
• Cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is softened and getting mushy.
• Push the squash to one side of the pot, leaving an area open. Break in the vegetarian sausage into this open area and cook it in the oil, break up the pieces and stir occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the sausage begins to brown. Once the sausage is browned on all sides, then you can mix it in with the honeynut squash.
• Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves and many cracks of black pepper. Cook another 4-5 minutes or until the tomato paste is a shade darker in color.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the 3/4 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of water and cover. Leave at a low simmer for 30-35 minutes, checking on it every ten minutes or so to add water as needed. This allows the flavor to build. Near the end, taste and add salt as needed.
• When you have 15 minutes left for the sauce, put the pot of water over high heat. Bring it to a boil and salt with a tablespoon of salt. Boil your pasta according to package instructions. When it is al dente, use tongs to transfer it into the ragu sauce.
• Mix the pasta into the sauce, adding splashes of pasta water as needed. I usually end up adding 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
• Portion into four pasta bowls and serve warm.