Roasted Winter Squash Pasta Food

PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Chop the mushrooms. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the mushrooms are crisp around the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, shallot, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta, squash and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until heated through,1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan, then stir in enough of the remaining cooking water to loosen. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan.

ROASTED WINTER SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Halve lengthwise, discard the seeds, then cut into 1-inch dice. Place in a large bowl.
• Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter ceases to foam and has turned a light brown, pull the pan off the heat and immediately add the sage, rosemary, sugar, vinegar (stand back so as not to get splattered), and molasses. Mix well and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the squash and toss well, then transfer to a heavy rimmed baking sheet or baking dish large enough to hold the squash in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast, tossing at least once, until very tender and caramelized, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle but still warm, so the liquids are runny.
• Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the warm squash and all the cooking liquids to a food processor and process until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for just a minute. Add the cubed chicken and cook through. Add squash, rosemary and saute for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender and the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often. Drain pasta.
• Toss the pasta and squash mixture in a large bowl until the liquid thickens slightly and coats the pasta. Transfer the pasta mixture to a wide shallow bowl and serve.

PASTA WITH WINTER SQUASH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and pepper flakes and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and squash, and cook with some salt and pepper.
• When squash is tender - about 10 minutes for shreds, 15 or so for small cubes - cook pasta until it is tender. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

WINTER PASTA WITH BROWN BUTTER, SQUASH, AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Spread squash into a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over squash; toss to coat.
• Roast in the preheated oven until squash is browned and softened, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain linguine, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat until bubbling and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir garlic and pine nuts in the brown butter until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add linguine, arugula, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and enough pasta water to moisten to the mixture. Toss until Parmesan cheese melts.
• Transfer linguine mixture to serving plates and top with roasted squash and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH WINTER SQUASH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and pepper flakes and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and squash, and cook with some salt and pepper.
• When squash is tender - about 10 minutes for shreds, 15 or so for small cubes - cook pasta until it is tender. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

PASTA WITH ROASTED WINTER SQUASH AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cover a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss the squash with the garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until all of the squash is coated with oil. Transfer to the baking sheet, place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Remove from the heat. Remove the garlic cloves and discard. Transfer the squash to a wide pasta bowl and add the cheese. Keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the timing instructions on the package but checking the pasta a minute or two before. Ladle about 1/2 cup cooking water from the pasta into the bowl with the squash and cheese and stir together.
• When the pasta is ready, drain and toss with the squash mixture, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the parsley. Serve hot.

ROASTED SQUASH & RED ONION PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Peel and deseed the squash, then cut it into mouthful-sized chunks and tip into a roasting tin. Peel the onions, leaving the root intact. Then cut each, through the root, into eight wedges and put them in the tin.
• Add the garlic to the tin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then toss everything together with your hands until all the ingredients are glistening. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until everything has browned nicely.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water following the timings given on the packet. Drain the pasta, reserving about 4 tbsp of the cooking water. Remove the tin from the oven and add the cooking water and crème fraîche, stirring everything together lightly. Tip in the pasta and toss well. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.