Butternut squash pasta
An easy butternut squash pasta sauce for any pasta shape, but ideally tagliatelle. This luxurious, creamy pasta is gently spiced with a hint of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.
Ingredients
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots, very finely chopped
- 100–200ml/3½–7fl oz hot vegetable stock
- 350g/12oz peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into 1cm/½in cubes
- 2 pinches grated nutmeg
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon
- 2 pinches ground cloves
- pinch ground black pepper
- 6–8 young sage leaves, torn
- 150g/5½oz tagliatelle
- 150ml/5fl oz single cream
- freshly grated Parmesan (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese), to serve
- salt
Method
Melt a third of the butter with the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the shallots for 2–3 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the stock and a pinch of salt and cover the pan with a lid. Cook gently for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the sauce and adding a little more stock when necessary.
Add the squash and cook for 40 minutes, stirring often, adding a little more stock whenever the pan looks dry.
Once the squash is soft, break it up with a fork to make a mash. Add the spices and sage and continue cooking slowly.
Cook the tagliatelle in a saucepan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
When the pasta is done, reserve a cupful of the water and drain. Add the tagliatelle to the sauce a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add a little cream, the remaining butter and the pasta water. Keep adding slowly until everything is incorporated.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
Skin and de-seed the butternut squash before you weigh it.
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