FRASER ELISABETH TAN, PHD

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

Continuing my obsession with butternut squash and sage. This comes together pretty quickly and is delicious! OM NOM NOM! From Cook's Illustrated.

VEG* EF

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, halved lengthwise and chopped into 0.25” pieces
  • 8 large fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh sage leaves
  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 0.5” dice
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 6 scallions, sliced thin (about 1 cup)
  • 0.25 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb penne or short pasta
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 4 tsp juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the 8 whole sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 1 minute. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the rendered bacon fat. Save bacon-sage mixture in a bowl.
  2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 0.5 c cooking water, and return to pot.
  3. Return skillet to high heat, adding back 2 tbsp of bacon fat. (If you have less than 2 tbsp, make up the difference with olive oil.) Heat until shimmering. Add squash in a single even layer and cook without stirring until starting to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, another 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and allow to melt (roughly 30 seconds). Add scallions, nutmeg, sugar, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.75 tsp pepper and minced sage; cook until scallions soften, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add broth and bring to a simmer; cook until squash is tender, about 1 to 3 minutes.
  5. Add squash mixture to pot with pasta. Add in 2 tbsp Parmesan, lemon juice and bacon mixture and toss to combine. Thin sauce with reserved pasta water if necessary.
  6. Serve, passing almonds and Parmesan.