Butternut squash pasta with bacon, sage and brown butter

 

Three weeks ago the red-winged blackbirds were back by the lake's marshy areas singing their signature ascending three-note call. Last week we saw our first butterfly of the season, and today a dragonfly. The daylilies are pushing up and the trees are bravely budding out. Clearly it's spring-ish.

So I cooked a fall recipe. Because that actually really did make sense, since there was one butternut squash remaining on the orchard rack in the basement from last fall, and the sage plant will no doubt take at least a temporary a dive when we take it back outside. Still a few freezing overnight lows in the extended forecast, but time to be wrapping up last fall's bounty ahead of upcoming spring markets in three weeks. 

Basically, it's a perfect recipe for the time of year where I want even the mildest of winters to be over, but haven't sloughed off enough winter lethargy to truly developed spring ambitions. I want at least a week of just being able to walk around without coats before entering the prolonged months of all the physical labor that pretending to garden entails. If I had a hammock, I would crawl into it to rest up. Except I'm pretty sure that I couldn't get out of it again without help. But this recipe could make it worthwhile.

Butternut squash pasta with bacon and sage brown butter

From “Homemade Kitchen” by Alana Chernila

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (1 to 1½ pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces bacon, sliced
1 pound farfalle pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 fresh sage leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large pasta serving bowl, toss together squash, onion, olive oil and salt. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and bake for squash is tender and onions have picked up color, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place bacon on another baking sheet at bake at 450 for 18-25 minutes until crisp. Cut into pieces when cool enough to handle.

While squash and bacon cook, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Salt liberally and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving at least a cup of cooking liquid. Place pasta in the large serving bowl in which you mixed the squash. Add cooked squash and bacon.

Heat butter in a small sauce pan until butter foams and takes on a light brown tint. Add sage leaves and cook briefly. Add mixture to pasta bowl, along with Parmesan, and enough reserved pasta cooking water to reach desired sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rating: You really can't go wrong with roasted squash and bacon over pasta, and this recipe definitely does not go astray. Totally cheating with those ingredients, and while it uses a certain number of pans, it still meets my kitchen ROI bar. It serves 6; Dave really enjoyed the leftovers for lunch, because bacon.

Pretty sure this one can enter the rotation along with pasta with balsamic-roasted squash, bacon and blue cheese and roasted butternut squash Alfredo pasta.