Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Crispy Sage, Brown Butter & Hazelnuts
Rated 4.5 stars by 2 users
Category
Cozy & Comforting
Servings
6
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Author:
Three Farm Daughters
I'll admit it: We may be a little guilty of going overboard on pumpkin-spice-everything in the fall. But after one taste of this gourd-geous pasta supper, you'll forget all about your PSL cravings in favor of this sumptuous and substantial way to get your seasonal flavor fix.
Nothing says autumn quite like sweet, bronze-roasted butternut squash. But when paired with crispy sage, earthy brown butter & toasted hazelnuts, you've got the ultimate pasta dish to fend off the feistiest fall chills.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the cubed squash in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle generously with oil, sprinkle over the nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated, then space out the squash cubes so there's a little gap between each - this ensures each cube will caramelize nicely in the oven.
Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the squash is tender and golden brown. For best results, gently flip the cubes over after 20 minutes to ensure even browning on all sides.
While the squash is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta, and prepare the infused butter sauce.
To make the crispy sage brown butter, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Melt the butter along with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the sage leaves. Frequently swirling the pan, cook until the sage leaves wilt slightly. Once the butter smells nutty, turns dark golden and some flecks start appearing on the bottom of the pan, immediately remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Using tongs, carefully remove the sage leaves from the browned butter with tongs, laying them out on paper towel-lined plate. (They'll crisp up as they cool, so don't panic if they seem a little soggy right now!) Set aside the frypan with the sage-infused brown butter, keeping it warm to toss through the cooked pasta later.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of starchy cooking water before draining. Meanwhile, remove the squash from the oven once it's deeply golden, fork-tender and starting to caramelize in spots.
Next, drain the cooked pasta. Return it back to the hot pot and quickly pour over the sage-infused browned butter. Add half the roasted squash cubes and stir gently until combined, adding spoonfuls of reserved cooking water to bring everything together and coat the pasta evenly with sage butter.
Pour pasta into a serving dish and top with the remaining cubes of roasted squash. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and chopped hazelnuts, then scatter over the crispy sage leaves to finish.
