Pasta with roasted winter squash in browned butter, sage, and hazelnut sauce
Instructions:
- 3 pounds winter squash, such as red kuri or butternut, peeled and seeded;
- 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil;
- K osher salt and ground black pepper, to taste;
- 1 pound uncooked orecchiette pasta (or other short, ridged pasta);
- 10 ounces baby spinach;
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter;
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage;
- 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped, skinned hazelnuts, toasted;
- 1 cup freshly grated aged Gouda or Parmesan.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the squash into 3⁄4-inch cubes and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with the oil. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil to keep warm, and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the spinach and toss with tongs so that the heat of the pasta wilts the spinach. Add the squash and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil to keep warm, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter cook, gently swirling the pan often, until the butter is covered in white foam and begins to brown in the center, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift the pan off the heat and continue swirling until the butter is deep golden brown throughout and smells nutty and toasty. Drop in the sage and nuts, which will bubble furiously at first. As soon as the sizzling stops, pour the browned butter over the pasta and squash and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve at once.
- Variation: You can replace both the winter squash and the pasta with spaghetti squash. The larger and more mature the squash, the more the flesh will look like spaghetti. Use a fork to pull out the strands into a large bowl. Toss the hot squash with the spinach and finish the recipe as usual, picking up with Step 3.