The Foodist: Pasta With Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter

The orecchiette with the sauce

This is a hearty and naturally vegetarian dish. You can add additional protein if you wish, but it is not necessary. This is great hot on a fall or winter night or served cold as a summer salad. The flavor is exceptional, especially with the sage, and it's very filling!

Look at that compound butter!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (30 ml)

• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (450 g; about 1/2 large squash)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 g)

• 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 ounce; 30 g)

• 1 handful fresh sage leaves, finely minced (about 1/2 ounce; 15 g)

• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon (15 ml)

• 1 pound small cupped, tubular, or ridged pasta such as orecchiette, penne, farfalle, or rotini (450 g)

• 1 ounce grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (30 g)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat until very lightly smoking. Immediately add squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well-browned and squash is tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add butter and shallot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until butter is lightly browned and smells nutty, about 1 minute longer. Add sage and stir to combine (sage should crackle and let off a great aroma). Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine pasta with enough room temperature or hot water to cover by about 2 inches. Season with salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil while stirring frequently. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.

4. Drain pasta, reserving a couple cups of the starchy cooking liquid.

5. Add pasta to skillet with squash along with a splash of pasta water. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until the pasta is perfectly al dente, stirring and tossing constantly and adding a splash of water as needed to keep the sauce loose and shiny.

6. Off heat, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano.

7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and texture with more pasta water as needed.

8. Serve immediately, top with more cheese at the table.