Delicata squash pasta with sage and brown butter

 

As I was cooking this, Dave commented that it was cheating because it had nearly every yummy ingredient imaginable. I said, just wait until we add the cream. He said, there's really cream? Yep. Is there tasty cured pork meat product? No, but every tasty thing short of that goes into this dish.

Delicata squash pasta with sage and brown butter

Adapted from Rachael Ray EveryDay,Oct. 2016

Ingredients

1 delicata squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 pound bucatini

½ cup butter

20 fresh sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves, divided

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus shaved Parmesan for garnish

Method

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

Cut ends off of squash. Slice in half lengthwise. Scour out the seeds. Slice each half crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Toss squash with olive oil and five-spice powder.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put squash on sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until very tender. (There’s no need to peel delicata squash as the skin will get tender.) 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sage leaves, half of rosemary and half of the thyme. Cook until sage leaves are crispy and butter is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove crispy sage leaves (bigger leaves will make this easier, otherwise, good luck) and set aside for garnish. Add cream and put on a low simmer until pasta is ready.

Drain pasta, reserving some liquid, and add to skillet along with remaining rosemary and thyme. Toss well and add  roasted squash and grated Parmesan, adding reserved pasta water as needed to make desired sauce consistency. Serve topped with reserved crispy sage leaves and Parmesan shavings.

Rating: Wow. Superb. Not what I usually say of a Rachael Ray recipe, many of which seem too shortcutty. But this was phenomenal. The original recipe called for three squash. I can't imagine why. And it used pumpkin spice, and I give five-spice powder the edge. But if that's what you've got on hand, I'm sure it would be fine. Very filling; serves 4.

Bonus points: It used up most of the sage from the window box planter we brought in for the winter. Sage does not like my basement hospitality. Can't say as I blame it.