Butternut Squash with Penne Pasta & Brown Butter

No time to make pumpkin raviolis? Who does when you’re juggling family life. That’s why I heart this recipe. Not only is it perfect for a cold evening– it has all the decadence of fall flavors without all the work!!

Ingredients:

1 ( 2- 2 1/2 lb) long neck butternut squash

8 ounces of butter, softened 

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 bunch fresh sage leaves, washed de stemmed 

4 large fresh sage leaves chopped fine

2 Tablespoons of good quality olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

2 large garlic cloves, peeled & finely diced

1 pound penne pasta

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated 

(plus additional for serving)

Method:

1-Preheat oven to 400’F

2-Carefully cut butternut squash lengthwise, remove seeds. Place squash-halves on a large baking sheet lined with foil- flesh side up. Dot 1/2 the butter all around the top of the squash halves. Season generously with salt & pepper.

3- Roast 50 to 60 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender. And edges are brown and caramelized. Remove and set aside.

3-While the butternut squash is in the oven, cook pasta to manufactures directions. Drain & toss in a 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, set aside. ( see my post here how to manage a weeks worth of pasta cooking once ) 

4- Pat sage leaves dry.  Heat oil in a small 8-9 in. Sauté pan until oil shimmers. Test frying temperature by dropping in a dry sage leaf . If it bubbles briskly it is ready. 

5-Drop the dry leaves into the hot oil and stir with slotted spoon. They will cook fast so don’t walk away. It will be mound and oil will crackle – be careful not to get splattered. Fry leaves about 10-20 seconds and drain on paper towel. Set aside. (Save flavored oil for additional uses.)

6- In a very large sauté pan, combine the remaining olive oil with the remainder of the butter. Add onions & sauté on medium high heat until the onions are translucent and butter is slightly brown, about 3-4 minutes. 

7-Add garlic cloves, sauté an additional minute or two until foamy. Remove from heat. Add finely chopped sage. Swirl.

 8-Spoon large spoonfuls of roasted butternut squash into pan, toss to coat.

9-Add pasta, again toss to coat, gently keeping the size integrity of the squash in tack. 

10-Serve in individual bowls topped with Parmesan cheese and deep fried crunchy Sage leaves.
Enjoy