Aspiring Elephant

I’ll be honest, I have never been a huge fan of butternut squash. I don’t hate it, like I do some things (licorice, bananas, etc.) but it’s not something I would typically order at a restaurant. Turns out, I just wasn’t preparing it the right way. I scoured the internet for different ways to prepare butternut squash and came across some that looked interesting, yet nothing was really standing out shouting “make me!”. That’s when it occurred to me – stick to what I know how to do, which is make great pasta dishes.

The Health benefits of Butternut Squash

I always just assumed people liked butternut squash because of its synonymity with fall, its funky shape, and its pumpkin-like sweet, nutty taste. Little did I know that butternut squash is also packed with many health benefits. It’s loaded with vitamins A, E, C, anti-oxidants, as well as respectable amounts of magnesium, potassium, and calcium. It’s what many would consider a “superfood”. All I know is that it’s super-delicious.

About this recipe

This dish is absolutely packed with flavor and a lot of that has to do with the addition of pasta’s best friend – butter. I sauté shallots and garlic directly in butter that has been browned, then add chicken broth, penne pasta, spinach, parmesan cheese, roasted pine nuts, and of course, roasted butternut squash. The combination of all these ingredients creates a homey dish that bursts with flavor and comfort. It’s sweet, somewhat salty, and just tastes like fall.

Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash (cubed)
• 1 medium sized shallot
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup pine nuts (roasted)
• 4 oz raw spinach
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

How to Make Brown Butter(nut) squash Penne

I included (nut) in parentheses to make sure it’s understood that the butter must be browned. Well, it doesn’t have to be browned, but I think it’s better if it is. Also, brown butter butternut squash penne sounded kind of weird.

We’ll start by preheating the oven to 400° F. Then slice the whole butternut squash in half so you have a top half and a bottom half. Then carefully, using a knife or peeler, start removing the skin. Once all the skin has been removed, slice again from top to bottom, revealing the center of each squash half . The top half should not contain any seeds; however, the thicker, bottom half will.

Make sure to have a good, sharp knife when attempting to cut butternut squash. A sharp knife, is a safe knife. My instrument of choice has been William’s Sonoma’s Shun Hikari 8” chefs knife. I have been using it for a couple years now and it’s a wonderful tool to have in the kitchen.

Use a spoon to scrape out any seeds and toss away (unless you want to use them for something else. Begin slicing into 1/2” thick sheets, then continue to dice into 1/2” by 1/2” cubes. Place the cubes into a large bowl then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Place the butternut squash cubes onto a large baking sheet, spreading them out so they all touch the surface. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes, until they develop a nice dark color.

Take this time to go ahead and start boiling water. Add a coupe teaspoons of salt to the water for added flavor.

Next, place a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Finely dice one medium size shallot and open up 3 cloves of garlic, leaving the garlic whole for now. Add 2-3 tbsp of butter to the pan/pot and begin to let it cook. I like to wait a couple minutes before adding in the shallots and grating in garlic using a microplane. If you wait until the butter is brown to add the shollots/garlic, you risk burning the butter. Allow the shallots and garlic to develop some color and become somewhat translucent. Then add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Remember, you can always add more at the end, so add with caution.

Next, you’ll want to add 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer. Hopefully, by this time your pasta is nearly finished cooking.

Toasted (sautéed) pine nuts

Roasted pine nuts are a delicious way to add a little crunch to the pasta. It also really helps balance out the flavors, as well as the overall mouthfeel of the dish. You can go about this a couple different ways. You can either add one cup of pine nuts to a baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes at 350° F or just add them to a pan and sauté for 5 minutes or so. I prefer the latter option, as I find the flavor a bit more pronounced when sautéed. Make sure to keep a watchful eye on them as they will burn very quickly. Take them off the pan as soon as they start to develop a dark brown color. They should emit a wonderful nutty smell.

Putting it all together

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain the water, making sure to reserve about 1 cup of cooking liquid. Then add pasta to your pan of broth, shallots and garlic. Toss to combine. Add in 6 oz of raw spinach, followed by 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. The pasta should become more creamy as you combine everything. Once the spinach has had time to soften, add in the butternut squash and toasted pine nuts. Mix everything to combine and that’s pretty much it!