Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Sage and Pecan Crumb

A comforting rigatoni dish featuring a silky butternut squash sauce, crispy sage leaves, and toasted pecans. Perfect for an autumn evening.

By @georginaelizat

Original recipe source

Cook time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 500 grams butternut squash cubed, without skin
• 1 garlic bulb wrapped in aluminum foil
• 0 olive oil generous glug
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 0.5 whole red onion chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 400 grams butternut squash baked
• 0.5 whole garlic bulb roasted
• 0.5 red onion fried
• 0.25 cup cream
• 0 olive oil glug
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 400 grams fresh rigatoni
• 0 water for boiling pasta
• 0 salt to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 6 leaves sage leaves fresh
• 2 tbsp pecans chopped
• 0.5 cup pasta water
• 400 grams cooked rigatoni
• 0 parmesan flakes a handful
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 100 grams butternut squash remaining roasted
• 0 sage pecan crumb

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
2. Roast all of the squash and the garlic (wrapped in tin foil) in a generous glug of olive oil, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
3. Fry your onions until soft in 1 tbsp butter.
4. Transfer 400g baked squash to a high power blender with the roasted garlic, onion, and cream. Blend until smooth.
5. Add a glug of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste while blending.
6. Cook your fresh rigatoni for around 5 minutes.
7. Add 1 tbsp butter to a frying pan and fry the sage until crispy (around 10-20 seconds). Then chop the sage and pecans and mix together.
8. Add the sauce to a big pan over low heat and stir in about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add more or less depending on your sauce consistency preference.
9. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir in the parmesan. Season again to taste.
10. Plate the pasta with the remaining roasted squash and the sage pecan crumb.