Roast Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe: An Italian Canadian Twist
Ciao Bellos, Bellas and all you Beautiful people! My Roast Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe is my love letter to fall. This delicious dish displays the vibrant colours and rich flavors of the season. It’s also great for warming you on those cool crisp evenings. Perfect for the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, this recipe puts a spotlight on the season, but has my own authentic Italian-Canadian twist!
Roasted dishes have always held a special place in my heart, and stomach. This dish uses butternut squash to create a healthy cream sauce that gives you the richness you crave but without any actual cream. For all you pumpkin spice enthusiasts in Vancouver and beyond, consider this a far more delectable option to your standard latte! Wink 😉
I recently taught a Roman Pizza Class at UBC Farm. They have amazing fall produce, including tons of squash, straight from their fields and you can support them, and their varied vendors, at one of their UBC Farmer’s Markets.
Enough of my talking. Try the recipe, join one of my upcoming Vancouver cooking classes and have an amazing fall season.
As always, remember the most important thing is to always, “Eat With Those You Love!”
Peter
Pasta Boy Peter – Public Cooking Classes, Team Building, Private in-home experiences and Virtual options
Roast Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
With any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines.
Ingredients and Equipment
Ingredients:
- 1 medium to medium-large butternut squash
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil (with more as needed)
- 1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or a mix with Parmigiano for a nuttier flavor)
- Nutmeg, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (all to your taste)
- 3 to 4 paper-thin slices of prosciutto (optional)
- 8 to 10 Sage leaves (optional)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 500 grams (approximately 1 pound) of bronze-extruded long pasta (spaghetti or linguine are great options; fresh pasta, which I teach in my Vancouver cooking classes, works wonders!)
Equipment:
- Baking tray or dish large enough for the roasted butternut squash
- Large boiling pot for pasta
- Large saucepan for tossing the pasta and sauce
- Blender or food processor
- Ladle, colander, serving spoon, etc.
- Large serving bowl (preferably ceramic or Pyrex)
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Grater or Micro plane
How to Roast Butternut Squash and Garnishes
Preparation Steps:
1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Prepare the Squash: Wash the butternut squash and slice off the top and bottom forming a base. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside. Toss the seeds with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Roasting the Squash: Place the squash skin-side down in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil, ensuring some oil settles in the hollow center.
4. Oven Time: Slide the tray onto the middle rack and roast for approximately 45 minutes, or until fork-tender. Cooking times may vary based on squash size, so check for tenderness with a fork. Should be soft but not mush. Once tender, let it cool until it can be handled. Save any liquid collected in the hollows.
5. Grate the Cheese: While the squash roasts, grate 1 cup of Pecorino Romano (preferably) or Parmigiano cheese, or combine both for added flavor.
6. Roasting the Seeds: Separate the seeds from any pumpkin flesh. Lay the seeds out evenly on a small sheet tray or baking dish. Add two cloves of garlic, unpeeled, to the tray. Season the ingredients with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add the seeds and garlic to the oven. Roast until toasted and fragrant, being mindful not to burn them.
7. Add Prosciutto: Remove the toasted seeds and return the tray to the oven for another 2 minutes to heat up. Now, lay the prosciutto on the tray, letting it sizzle. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until it darkens and becomes golden brown on the fatty edges.
Pasta Boy Peter Cooking Class Tip: If you like the flavour of roasted sage, coat 8-10 leaves with olive oil and season with salt. Roast them on the tray with the prosciutto. You can then use them as a garnish, a substitute for the prosciutto, or add them to your sauce.
8. Remove the prosciutto from the tray and place it on a paper towel-lined dish to cool. It will crisp up, making it easy to crumble as a garnish.
Making the Sauce
9. Prepare the Squash: Scoop out three-quarters of the squash in small chunks and place them in your blender or food processor.
10. Combine Ingredients: Add 1/2 of your olive oil, the reserved juices from the squash, the now peeled cloves of roasted garlic, and half of the grated cheese.
11. Cube Remaining Squash: Cube the final quarter of the squash and set it aside for later. You may blend all the squash if you prefer a thicker sauce.
12. Season the Sauce: Grate in a pinch of fresh nutmeg or use powdered nutmeg. If nutmeg isn’t available, a bit of cinnamon can substitute (start with just a pinch). You can also add pumpkin spice if it is your favourite. A leaf of sage can also add variation. Be careful with the addition of these spices so they don’t overwhelm the dish.
13. Blend for Creaminess: Blend all the ingredients together until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. You might need additional olive oil, but wait for now; we’ll add a drizzle of pasta water soon.
Cooking the Pasta
16. Boil the Water: In a large pot, boil at least 4 liters of water for the pasta.
Pasta Boy Peter Cooking Class Tip: The pasta water should be salted to taste like the Mediterranean Sea.
17. Cook the Pasta: Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until just before al dente. If the package says 10 minute cooking time, start the process below at 5 minutes.
Combining the Pasta & Sauce
Option 1: Ceramic or Pyrex Bowl Method
If Your Pan is Not Big Enough to toss sauce and pasta together:
- Warm a large ceramic bowl with hot water. Remove the water and dry.
- As the pasta nears al dente (3-4 minutes out), add 1 Tablespoon of pasta water to your sauce and blend it to help emulsify. The sauce should thicken but avoid it becoming watery. If needed, add another tablespoon of olive oil and taste for salt, pepper, nutmeg etc.
- Toss and Serve: Add one-third of your sauce to the warmed ceramic bowl. Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain it and add it to the bowl. Toss the pasta with the sauce, ensuring every strand is well-coated. Finish with more sauce and adjust seasoning to taste.
Option 2: Sauce to Pan Method
- Begin by adding 2 tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce.
- Blend the mixture briefly to help with emulsification.
- Transfer one-third of your sauce to a sauté pan or large frying pan set over medium-low heat.
- Drain the pasta 1 minute before it reaches al dente, and add it directly to the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Gently swirl and mix the pasta to combine.
- Add extra sauce to your liking, ensuring all the pasta is coated.
- If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water—one tablespoon at a time—until you reach your desired consistency.
- The goal is to achieve a creamy coating that clings beautifully to the pasta.
- Finally, adjust seasoning to taste.
Plating and Garnish
- Twirl the pasta into the centre of a plate and add a spoon of extra sauce to the top as desired.
- Garnish your dish with small pieces of prosciutto, roasted pumpkin seeds, cubes of the reserved butternut squash, sage if you roasted it, and a sprinkling of additional grated Pecorino cheese.
- Serve and Enjoy
Make My Roast Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe for Yourself!
This Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta is not just a dish; it’s a celebration of flavors and traditions. Try the recipe, its techniques, its flavour combinations, and join me at one of my hands-on Pasta Boy Peter cooking classes to learn more. Come and enjoy a fun, engaging experience that will elevate your culinary skills. Please let me know how the recipe turns out, and share it on social media, @pastaboypeter. Hoping you always, “Eat With Those You Love!”
Peter
Pasta Boy Peter – Eat With Those You Love ®
Vancouver Cooking Classes – Hands on Roman Fettuccine, Puglia Pasta, Roman Pizza, Roman Roast Porchetta, Pillows of Potato Gnocchi, Risotto, and Roman Sauces
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601 West Broadway Suite 400
Vancouver, BC V5Z4C2