Ingredients
- 12 ounces Dry Pasta (Bucatini, Spaghetti or Linguine)
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter – DIVIDED (1 stick)
- 1 large Butternut Squash – peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds discarded and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 pounds total or about 4 cups of cubed squash)
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Ground Ginger, Nutmeg & Cumin
- One pinch of Cayenne
- 2 cloves Garlic – smashed and peeled
- 8-12 large Fresh Sage Leaves
- 1 Cup Whole-Milk Ricotta (Optional: Whip ricotta until smooth in a food processor)
- 1/2 Cup Toasted Walnuts – coarsely chopped
- As needed Kosher Salt & Pepper – to taste
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan – freshly grated, plus more for garnish
Directions
1. Cook Pasta: Boil salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain, and let pasta cool slightly.
2. Sauté Squash: Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet, add squash with ginger, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned and tender (12 – 15 min). Transfer to a plate.
3. Brown Butter & Sage: In the same skillet, melt remaining butter with smashed garlic. Cook until butter browns (about 2 min). Fry sage leaves until crisp, then remove. Discard garlic, keep butter in pan.
4. Make Sauce: Lower heat, whisk in 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta, season with salt and pepper, toss with Parmesan until melted. Gently fold in squash, adding more water if dry.
5. Serve: Divide into bowls, top with crispy sage, toasted nuts, extra Parmesan, and ricotta if desired.
