Butternut Squash Pasta

How better to enjoy seasonal winter squash than with pasta! Make this dish rich by using heavy cream in the sauce, or lighten it up with almond milk. This recipe comes to us from Christopher Mohs of Pumpernickel&Rye.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash (cubed)
• 1 lb. trottole pasta
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp heavy cream (or substitute almond milk)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme plus sprigs for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the butternut squash, dark brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat the squash evenly. Pour into a roasting dish, cover with aluminum foil and roast for 45 – 60 minutes.

In the last 20 minutes of roasting, boil and cook the pasta. When the pasta has cooked, strain and return pasta to the cooking pot, remove the roasted butternut squash from the oven and place a 1/4 of the butternut squash into the pot with the pasta (these are chunky bits for the final dish).

Put the remaining squash in a blender and puree until smooth; add the heavy cream (or almond milk) and give one quick blitz. Pour the pureed squash along with fresh thyme and pumpkin seeds to the pasta and stir to combine and coat the pasta. Serve and enjoy!