When it comes to pasta (refined or whole grain), it’s usually best to pair like with like. As in, hearty pastas do best with hearty sauces, while delicate pastas (such as angel hair) take delicate sauces.

And since most whole-grain pastas are naturally heavy, there aren’t many light sauces that work well with them.

With this in mind, here’s a recipe pairs the heartiest of whole-grain pastas – lasagna noodles – with a sauce that can stand up to its heft. In this case, butternut squash studded with sausage and onions.

Broken into 2-inch lengths, the noodles provide just the right bulk for the sauce.

Lower-fat turkey sausages would reduce the recipe’s caloric content.

Butternut squash and sausage pasta

(Start to finish: 30 minutes)

1/2 pound whole-wheat lasagna noodles, broken into medium pieces (roughly 2 inches long)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, cut into thin rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

Lasagna noodles form the base for this Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta. Squash with onion and sausage make up the slightly sweet sauce.

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

3 cups cubed winter squash

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and sausage and saute 5 minutes. Add the squash and rosemary and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the chicken broth, cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until squash is tender and broth has reduced by about half.

In a small glass, combine the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water, then stir into the squash and sausage mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine.

Makes 4 servings.