Fettucine with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage, and Brown Butter

OK, so I purloined this recipe from Whole Foods. Have you ever picked up their index-card recipes? They’re easy and brilliantly delicious. The reason I haven’t posted many of my own recipes to this blog is because I subscribe to the “a pinch of this, a dash of that,” philosophy, so nearly all measurements will be “to taste.” Anyway, this recipe was too simple and amazing not to share.

The cheffing whizzes at Whole Foods say that the sweet roasted squash plays well against the nuttiness of the browned butter. They recommend serving this pasta with a fall salad of bitter greens, apples, and walnuts. Serves 4.

1 small butternut squash, about 1 pound
1 lb fettucine noodles
3 tablespoons butter
10-15 whole sage leaves (I used about 1 tsp of dried sage)
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Dry Jack, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese (I recommend shredded Parmesan)
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Peel the squash, cut it into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with a little olive oil and salt, and roast in a single layer in a 400 degree oven for 15-30 minutes, until tender and brown.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a skillet (big enough to add the pasta later), over low heat, warm the butter and sage. Cook without stirring until butter turns a light caramel color.

3. Toss the cooked and drained pasta, while hot, with the squash, butter and sage. Toss in the pine nuts. Top each serving with thin shavings of cheese (use a vegetable peeler on a block of cheese, or buy shredded), and a little cracked pepper, and serve immediately.

We ate this with warm, homemade pesto bread and red wine, and we were speechless at the deliciousness.