Bangers with Mashed Winter Squash and Fried Sage

A fall take on bangers and mash: sausages and butternut squash roast together on one pan, then the squash gets mashed with a little maple and brown butter. Pick up squash and sausages at the market and dinner is mostly hands-off.

Serves 4 · 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausages
• ¼ cup half-and-half or whole milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Pinch of cayenne
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup fresh sage leaves
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. On a sheet pan, toss the squash with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the sausages and roll them in the oil.
2. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the sausages are browned and cooked through.
3. Move the squash to a bowl and mash it. Stir in the half-and-half, maple syrup, cayenne and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth, then taste and add more salt or cayenne if you like.
4. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once it simmers, add the sage and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes more, until the garlic is golden, the sage is crisp and the butter has browned. Take the pan off the heat right away and lift the sage onto a paper towel.
6. Stir about half the brown butter into the squash.
7. Serve the sausages over the mash, topped with fried sage and a drizzle of the remaining brown butter.

Tips

• Any sausage works here. Just check for doneness, since thinner or thicker links may need more or less time.

Adapted from Lidey Heuck, NYT Cooking.