Butternut Squash Penne with Sage Brown Butter

My favorite fall flavors are nutty butternut squash with crisp buttery sage. But, I hate waiting for the leaves to start falling to make this dish. The key element of flavor in this dish is the crisp sage. Uncooked sage and “fried” sage carry two different flavors; one being very wild and fresh like the forest it came out of and two, being buttery and sweet. You could make this without the sage if you don’t like the flavor, but give it a try, you may be surprised how good fuzzy, green leaves can be!

• 2 Bags Cubed Butternut Squash (Trader Joes)
• 1 tablespoon plus, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound dried pasta (I use Whole Wheat Penne)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Nutmeg or Amaretti Cookie dust to taste

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then spread it on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until slightly caramelized, 30-40 minutes total. Take out of the oven and set aside.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain well.
3. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add shallot, sage, and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring, until shallots are soft and sage is crispy.
4. Turn off the heat; add the squash and, if you want, pecans. Toss with cooked pasta and serve with Parmesan, a dash of nutmeg or crushed amaretti cookies.

Recipe Courtesy of: My Noggin

Husband Rating: “The best dish you make, because you have mastered the flavors like nobody else!” Gotta love him, and this was while he was eating leftovers for lunch two days later! I ♥ him!