Tagliatelle Pasta with Roasted Delicata Squash and Crispy Sage Sauce
This beautiful fall pasta dish celebrates the often overlooked delicata squash. Creamy and sweet, this green and yellow striated squash is roasted until golden brown, then tossed with toothy tagliatelle pasta in a nutty, brown butter sauce. Topped with toasted walnuts, crispy sage, and a healthy dose of Parmesan — dinner is deliciously served!
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1 large (or two small) delicata squash
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup butter
- 15-20 sage leaves, washed and patted dry
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb tagliatelle pasta
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnut halves on a baking sheet for 5-8 minutes until browned and fragrant. Stir halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Scrub and prepare delicata squash by halving lengthwise, removing seeds, and cutting into 1/2" wide pieces.
- In a bowl, toss squash, garlic, and shallots with olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until tender and browned. Set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat, stirring until it turns light brown. Add sage leaves and cook until crispy, turning each leaf. Remove sage to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Continue to cook butter until rich and nutty. Add vegetable stock and wine; simmer on low until reduced by half. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve some pasta water.
- Toss pasta in brown butter sauce. Add lemon juice and reserved pasta water as needed to coat the pasta.
- Mix in roasted squash, garlic, shallots, and Parmesan cheese. Top with crispy sage and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.