Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce with Fried Sage
Creamy and luxurious, this butternut squash pasta sauce is flavored with nutmeg and parmesan and finished with fried sage leaves and crisp pancetta.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 594kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 4 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces, about 1 small squash
- 5 garlic cloves with the peel
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- ½-1 cup starchy pasta water
Toppings
- Fried sage leaves
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Add cubed butternut squash and garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat evenly, then roast for 45-50 minutes, until the squash is tender and caramelized.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just al-dente or 1-2 minutes less than the package directions and reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
- Once the vegetables are done roasting, remove the garlic peel and add garlic cloves and roasted butternut squash to a blender, along with the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and ½ cup of starchy pasta water.
- Blend until smooth and add more water if the sauce is too thick.
- Pour creamy butternut squash sauce over cooked linguine and toss to combine so all of the sauce evenly coats all of the noodles.
- If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Serve butternut squash pasta into bowls and garnish with fried sage leaves, crisp pancetta, a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese.
- To make the crisp pancetta, add cubed pancetta to a small skillet and bring up to medium heat. Continue cooking until fat has rendered and pancetta is crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Then reserve to a paper towel lined plate.
- To make the fried sage leaves, add enough oil to a small saucepan or skillet and bring up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a few sage leaves and fry for 30-45 seconds until crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
Video
Notes
- Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than the package directions, this will make sure the pasta is not being over cooked when added with the sauce.
- When cooking the pasta, save at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, this will help loosen the sauce if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 799mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 15209IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 3mg