Autumn Dinner with Sausage, Pasta, Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

Roasted Butternut Squash:
3 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Roasted Brussels sprouts:
12 oz Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Pasta:
8 oz bow tie pasta

Sausage:
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 oz cooked smoked sausage such as cajun sausage, andouille sausage, or smoked sausage
5 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to taste
fresh thyme to taste

Directions:

Roast Butternut Squash:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Make sure the butternut squash is peeled, seeded, and cubed. Here is a very detailed recipe on how to peel, seed, cube, and roast butternut squash.
In a large bowl, toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread the squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.

Roast on the middle rack in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 15 to 20 minutes (maximum 30 minutes). Remove from oven. Depending on your oven and how thick the cubes are, your butternut squash can be done in 15 minutes - so be sure to check at that time.

You can roast Brussels sprouts on the same baking sheet (if large enough) and at the same time as butternut squash.

Roast Brussels sprouts:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove yellow leaves. Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.

In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread the Brussels sprouts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.

Roast on the middle rack in the preheated oven at 400 F for 20 or 30 minutes. You can roast them at the same time you roast butternut squash. Remove from oven.

Pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain. Proceed with the rest of the recipe while the pasta cooks.

Sausage:
While you roast the veggies and cook the pasta, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, high-sided cast-iron skillet (or stainless steel) on medium heat. Slice cooked sausage into coins and add to the skillet.

Cook on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Remove the sausage from the skillet.
To the same, now empty, cast-iron skillet, add minced garlic. Cook on low-medium heat for about 1 or 2 minutes or until the garlic softens. Add butter. Add cooked pasta and coat thoroughly with the garlic butter sauce on low-medium heat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste. 

Add roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, cooked sausage, and fresh snipped thyme to the skillet with pasta. Mix everything to coat the veggies with juices from the sausage and the garlic butter sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, and a small amount of smoked paprika (you don't need to use much), if desired.
If you used a large skillet, everything should fit. If not, work in batches.

I await your comments! Enjoy!