This recipe goes out to all the baked mac and cheese lovers, the gratin aficionados, the one-pan-dinner purists, and anyone who rightfully believes that butternut squash is the perfect sponge for butter, meat, and cheese.
The path to butternut bliss begins with preheating your oven to 400 degrees. You might be tempted to do this step later, because recipes always take twice as long as you think, and why waste all that heat? This is not that kind of recipe. Start your oven right now.
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Truth: you don't always have to peel your squash. But in this recipe, you're going to be slicing your squash super-thin, and it'll be easier to do that if it's peeled. Cut the bottom of the squash so it sits flat, and get to peeling. One of those Y-shaped vegetable peelers will work just fine. When you've fully denuded your squash, cut it in half the long way and scoop out the goopy stuff with a spoon.
Pick your favorite squash half and put the other one in the fridge because it's destined for shakshuka greatness. Get the chosen half on its side and slice as thin as you dare. The thinner the slices, the more surface area available for butter and cheese.
Now find 2 tablespoons butter somewhere in your fridge. Microwave it in a large-ish bowl and see if you can chop a clove of garlic in the 20 seconds it takes the butter to melt. This game is a lot easier to win if you just grate the clove on a microplane, but a knife will also do the job. Just, uh, don't hurt yourself. Go slow if that's what you need! Throw the garlic bits into the liquified butter and stir, being sure to waft the scent toward your nose once or twice.
Here's where it gets fun. Toss the squash slices into the butter bowl. Grab your 3 oz. hunk of Parmesan (or Pecorino or Grana Padano) and grate away. Use whatever side of the grater you like best. Cut it into small pieces and throw 'em into your food processor. Use pre-grated Parm from a tub when no one's looking. Yeah, it's a lot of cacio.
Classic cacio e pepe is a meatless affair, but then we invited butternut squash, and butternut was like, "Can I bring a +1? It's sausage." Free the 1 pound of sausage from its casings if it's not already loose. Crumble it into the bowl.
Next comes a teaspoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon of pepe, freshly ground. Listen, we know you're not going to grind pepper into a teaspoon. Just give that pepper mill 25 to 30 twists and consider it a wrist-ercise.
Now get your hands in there and toss so the garlic butter coats everything and it's looking like a big raw sausage salad. Scrape it all into a skillet that can go in the oven. You want everything to be in a pile—not spread out like a regular vegetable roast. If you don't have the right-size skillet, try a pie plate, a cake pan, or a small baking dish. Whatever your vessel, cover it tightly with foil so the squash can steam itself to tenderness.
Pop it in the oven and set your timer for 20. This is when you decide what else you're going to eat. It's okay if the answer is nothing ... or wine. But a green salad might be nice, with a light citrusy dressing, or some quick-cooked green beans. If you're feeling extra carb-y, a few slices of ciabatta will come in handy later.
When the timer dings, pull off the foil because it's browning time. Give it another 20–30 minutes in the oven until the edges are dark and crispy like the best part of lasagna.
Eat it while it's hot. Get at those crispy bits with your fingers. Mop up the grease with the aforementioned ciabatta. Bask in the compliments you're sure to receive.
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