Created with De Cecco
Whoa!! We made it out of November alive! Thanksgiving was a smashing success and now we’re moving on to all the December holiday parties! And with holiday parties come dinner parties and those require Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta (and a bottle or two of champagne)!!
I’ve been pretty picky about my pasta since getting back from Italy earlier this year. They just have a way of doing things over there that make you want to pack your bags and move into some Italian countryside villa and live with someone’s grandma and soak up all her knowledge on food. I noticed that cooks in Italy really pay attention to what sauces go with what type of pasta and vice versa so this creamy butternut squash sauce is exactly what you want to add to spaghetti. De Cecco Spaghetti to be precise. Perfectly cooked Italian pasta made with 100% durum “coarse” semolina topped with a light but creamy butternut squash sauce that just coats every piece of pasta perfectly… I mean, does it get any better than that?!
De Cecco is a premium Italian pasta, and the difference really starts back in Italy where it is made using a traditional production method that stayed true to the De Cecco family recipe for over 130 years. Just a few simple things make up this product; durum wheat semolina, pure spring water and a production method that involves slowly drying the pasta to preserve the flavor! 130 YEARS you guys! They know their stuff and it really does taste different! When I made this for Thomas a few weeks back for the first time he asked me if I had made the pasta from scratch it’s THAT GOOD!! Make it!! You can thank me later!
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 shallots, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 lb De Cecco spaghetti
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Grated pecorino
- Fresh herbs like thyme, basil, chives or parsley
Serve with:
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the butternut squash, shallots, garlic and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer into a 425-degree oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
- While the butternut squash is roasting, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Once the squash is tender, remove and transfer to a blender with the garlic and shallots with chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Add the cream, nutmeg and reserved cooking liquid and continue to blender. Once smooth, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer the liquid to a medium pot and keep over low heat to keep warm.
- Add a few large spoonful’s of the sauce to the pasta and toss to combine. Continuing adding sauce until it’s as saucy as you want. Serve with pecorino, herbs and freshly cracked black pepper.
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Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
