Linguini with Butternut Squash & Sage Sauce
Rich, Creamy, Comforting AND Healthy! Pair with a green side salad or roasted Brussels Sprouts for a complete, balanced meal.
Serves: 4 Cooking time: approx. 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely fresh sage leaves, sliced into strips
3 cups Pinwheel Butternut Squash Chunks (frozen)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (up to ¼ teaspoon for spicier pasta sauce)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
12 ounces whole grain or regular linguine or fettucine
Optional additional garnishes: shaved Parmesan or Pecorino or vegan grated Parmesan; smoked salt; 2 Tbsps. toasted walnut pieces or toasted slivered almonds; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get crispy before transferring it to a small bowl. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and set the bowl aside.
Add the frozen squash chunks, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Once the squash mixture is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. Purée the mixture in a large bowl with with an immersion blender, or blend in a regular blender until smooth (beware of hot steam escaping from the top of the blender), then season to taste with salt and pepper
Combine the pasta, squash purée and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid in the skillet that was used previously. Cook over medium heat, tossing and adding more pasta cooking water as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve the pasta in individual bowls topped with fried sage, more black pepper and shaved Parmesan/Pecorino, walnuts/almonds and/or parsley, if desired.