Pasta with Summer Squash, Spicy Sausage, and Goat Cheese

Kosher salt
1 lb. dried pasta (rigatoni, rotini, etc.)
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage (or links with the casings removed)
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped (~3 medium shallots)
2 cups yellow and green summer squash, medium dice
3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (~3/4 cup)
2 tsps fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (optional)

Add pasta to a large pot of boiling well-salted water and cook for about 10+ minutes or al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan and cook the sausage, breaking it into small bits with spatula until cooked through. Drain off the fat and reserve the sausage in a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and sauté the shallots over medium heat until they are soft. Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash, sautéing until the squash softens. I tossed the sausage into the squash here and gave it a stir for a minute over medium high heat. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta, sausage, and squash in a large bowl together and toss with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the goat cheese and parsley and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated cheese.