It may look like cheesy pasta but it’s Butternut Squash Linguine

It may look like cheesy pasta but there’s very little cheese in this pasta dish—just a sprinkling of Parmesan at the end. The yellow color comes from butternut squash (made into a purée) that also lends lots of flavor to this dish. Topped with fresh sage, some crumbled bacon and toasted walnuts, this dish is a perfect entrée for fall dining.

Butternut Squash Linguine     About 4 servings

1 butternut squash (about 2 lb.), halved lengthwise & seeded

Olive oil

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12 oz. dry linguine or fettuccine pasta

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2 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 leaves of fresh sage, optional

½ cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup chicken broth

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

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3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage

4 slices cooked & crumbled bacon

About ¼ cup of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Grated Parmesan

1.  Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2.  Make the squash purée:

• Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Lightly coat both side with oil.
• Place squash, flesh side down, on prepared baking sheet. Add 1 cup water to baking squash. Bake squash until tender, about 45 minutes.
  
  
  
  
• Cool and then scoop flesh from squash; discard skin.
  
• Add flesh or squash to food processor and purée until smooth.
  
  
  
  
• Continue with remaining steps in recipe, or cover and refrigerate at this point. Or, purée may also be added to a freezer bag and frozen.

3.  Prepare the pasta: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

4.   Preparing butternut sauce:

• Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add 2 or 3 leaves of fresh sage if desired to flavor oil—when oil is hot, discard sage.
• Add onions and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  
• Deglaze pan with wine; cook until it nearly evaporates. 
  
• Stir in 2 cups butternut squash purée, cream, chicken broth and ½ cup reserved pasta water; season with salt and pepper.
  
• Add enough of remaining pasta water until desired sauce consistency

5.   To serve: Ladle sauce over paste. Top with thinly chopped sage, crumbled bacon, chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Recipe without photos:

Butternut Squash Linguine     About 4 servings

1 butternut squash (about 2 lb.), halved lengthwise & seeded

Olive oil

-----

12 oz. dry linguine or fettuccine pasta

-----

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 leaves of fresh sage, optional

½ cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup chicken broth

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

-----

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage

4 slices cooked & crumbled bacon

About ¼ cup of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped 

Grated Parmesan

1.  Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2.  Make the squash purée:

• Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Lightly coat both side with oil.
• Place squash, flesh side down, on prepared baking sheet. Add 1 cup water to baking squash. Bake squash until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Cool and then scoop flesh from squash; discard skin.
• Add flesh of squash to food processor and purée until smooth.
• Continue with remaining steps in recipe, or cover and refrigerate at this point. Or, purée may also be added to a freezer bag and frozen.

3.  Prepare the pasta: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

4.   Preparing butternut sauce:

• Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add 2 or 3 leaves of fresh sage if desired to flavor oil—when oil is hot, discard sage.
• Add onions and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Deglaze pan with wine; cook until it nearly evaporates. 
• Stir in 2 cups butternut squash purée, cream, chicken broth and ½ cup reserved pasta water; season with salt and pepper.
• Add enough of remaining pasta water until desired sauce consistency.

5.   To serve: Ladle sauce over paste. Top with thinly chopped sage, crumbled bacon, chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of Parmesan.