One of the things that I look most forward to every autumn is the return of winter squash. I grew up on acorn squash but have learned to love butternut, buttercup, delicata, banana, turban, and spaghetti squashes. Recently, upon visiting my favorite u-pick farm (11-Acres in Greenbluff for Spokane locals), I found this speckled hound squash. Speckled Hound Squash. I have a spotted dog, although he’s a setter, not a hound, and I snapped it up for the name alone.

Thankfully, the squash itself did not disappoint! It was sweet, slightly nutty, nicely textured, and perfectly dressed with some butter and salt. Paired with smoked sausage and a simple pasta side, my speckled hound squash was the center of a dinner that is quick and very simple to put together.

Unfortunately, I only picked up one speckled hound squash at the farm, but I saved some of the seeds, so perhaps I can have even more next year! If you can’t find any speckled hound squash, any other hard winter squash would do nicely in this recipe. My first alternate picks would probably be butternut or kobacha.

The timing of this 40-minute dinner does rely on parbaking the squash in the microwave, which cuts the cooking time in half and is very helpful. If you do not have a microwave, you should plan on at least one hour of baking the squash.

• 1 large squash, such as speckled hound, kobacha, or butternut
• 1 12-ounce smoked sausage
• Salt
• 12 ounces bite-sized pasta
• ½ cup butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the squash on a plate with the cut sides together (so that it resembles itself pre-cutting) and microwave the squash for 10 minutes. Turn it over and microwave an additional 10 minutes.

Cut the smoked sausage in 4-6 pieces, depending on how many people you are feeding. Remove the squash to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place the sausages in the squash cavities. If they are shallow, just place the sausages next to the squash. Cover the squash and sausage with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is very soft and the sausage is warmed through.

While the squash and sausage are baking, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add about 1 Tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, then stir in the pasta. Cook it, stirring occasionally, according to package instructions (approximately 8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta but do not rinse.

Melt ¼ cup (half of the stick) of butter in a large frying pan. Stir in the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the drained pasta until it is thoroughly coated. Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt to taste.

Remove the squash from the oven and remove the sausages from its cavities. Use a spoon to break up the squash. Cut the remaining ¼ cup butter into small cubes or slices and scatter them evenly over the squash. Allow the butter to melt and then fold it into the squash. Season with salt to taste. Serve the squash, pasta, and sausage to your dining companions and enjoy this homey autumn dinner!