Brown Butter Acorn Squash Pasta With Toasted Hazelnuts Sage Food

BROWN BUTTER ACORN SQUASH PASTA WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS + SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem end of the acorn squash, you'll cut about ¼-½ inch off the end. Place the acorn squash cut side down vertically on a wooden cutting board so that it is very secured to your counter. We don't want the cutting board or squash to wobble as you cut it. Next cut the acorn squash in half vertically. Use your knife to cut the acorn squash vertically down the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the squash halves flesh side down on your prepared baking sheet. Roast for 50 minutes-1 hour or until squash is very fork tender. Set aside to cool for a little bit before scooping out the flesh.
• While the squash is cooking: you can toast the hazelnuts: place a large skillet over medium low heat. Add in hazelnuts and toast for 2-3 minutes until nice and golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add flesh to a high powered blender or food processor and add in milk, pure maple syrup, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Blend until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to smooth out the sauce. Set aside.
• In the same pan that you toasted the hazelnuts, you can brown your butter: add butter and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you stir constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens right when it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool a bit (keeping butter in the pan but removing pan from heat) while you cook your pasta.
• Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the brown butter, give it a nice stir to coat all the pasta with the brown butter, then immediately add in the acorn squash sauce and garlic powder; stir again until nice and creamy. Generously season with salt and pepper to taste (I like a lot of black pepper!). Garnish with sage and your toasted hazelnuts, and fresh shaved parmesan; stirring into the pasta if desired.

PASTA WITH DELICATA SQUASH AND SAGE-BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter turns caramel-brown and smells nutty, 2-3 minutes. Add sage leaves and fry until crispy, 10-15 seconds. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sage to paper towels to drain. Pour all but 2 Tbsp. brown butter into a small bowl.
• Cook panko and 4 sage leaves in same skillet, stirring to break up sage, until mixture is toasty, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Cook squash and 3 Tbsp. brown butter in same skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until squash begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 3/4 cup water; cover pan and cook until squash begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and squash is tender and caramelized, about 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add remaining 3 Tbsp. brown butter to skillet and stir until squash is evenly coated. Add 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and simmer until a thin sauce forms, about 1 minute; season with 1 tsp. pepper. Add pasta, tossing to coat and adding pasta cooking water as needed to coat pasta. Remove from heat, top with half of the reserved sage, and stir to combine.
• Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl or individual pasta bowls. Top with panko mixture, remaining sage, and a generous shaving of Parmesan.