Pumpkin pasta with a brown butter sauce, flavoured with smoked pancetta, thyme and sage. As Autumn approaches this wonderfully comforting bowl of pasta hits the spot.
1small pumpkin or butternut squash(peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces)
3sprigs fresh thyme
2tbspolive oil
100gunsalted butter
300gdried pasta
150gsmoked pancetta(diced)
3banana shallots(finely chopped)
2-3clovesgarlic(crushed)
5whole sage leaves
salt & pepper
grated parmesan(to serve)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200CFan/180C.
Dice the pumpkin/squash into small, bite-sized pieces and place on a non-stick roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, add the whole thyme sprigs and drizzle over the olive oil. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Place the tray in the oven and roast the pumpkin/squash for 30 minutes, giving the tray a shake half way through. After 30 minutes the pumpkin will have softened but still retain a bit of bite. Discard the thyme springs and set the squash aside until the sauce is made.
Melt the butter slowly in a heavy based saucepan over a medium/low heat and allow the butter to darken to a rich brown colour. This process will take a little time.
The butter will begin to foam and turn from yellow to a toasted brown colour and have a nutty aroma. This process takes time, swirl the pan occasionally to ensure the butter cooks evenly.
Take care not to blacken and burn the butter! Once brown, take the butter off the heat and pass through a fine sieve to strain off any sediment
Place a large saucepan of salted boiling water on the hob and cook the pasta al-dente as per the instructions on the packet. Once cooked drain and reserve some of the cooking liquor for use in the sauce later.
In a large pan dry fry the pancetta and once crisp set aside onto a plate before adding the brown butter to the pan. Add the diced shallot and saute in the butter over a medium heat for 5 minutes. The shallot should soften but not colour.
Add the pancetta back into the pan along with the roasted squash and the crushed garlic, stir for 3 minutes. Push all the ingredients to the side of the pan and place the whole sage leaves into the butter in the middle. Saute the leaves until crisp and then remove from the pan and discard.
Stir the cooked pasta through the butter sauce, along with a ladle of the cooking water to thicken the sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
This recipe uses smoked pancetta to add flavour to the dish. However, if you are serving vegetarian diners, simply leave the pancetta out altogether.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Pasta with Brown Butter Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 778Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 17g
Cholesterol 79mg26%
Sodium 266mg12%
Potassium 981mg28%
Carbohydrates 82g27%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 20606IU412%
Vitamin C 43mg52%
Calcium 127mg13%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Course : Main Course
Cuisine : Italian
Keyword : how to make brown butter, pasta, pumpkin, pumpkin pasta sauce, pumpkin poasta sauce no cream, roast pumpkin pasta