Pasta With Roasted Delicata Squash, Herbed Brown Butter, Pomegranate and Ricotta

This is, hands down, my favorite time of year. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and some of my favorite produce is popping up at the farmers market!

Speaking of my favorite fall produce, I love delicata squash more than I probably should love a type of squash…when roasted, the contrast of the crispy skin with the creamy, sweet flesh is perfection!

This pasta dish marries some of my favorite ingredients – pasta (always), delicata squash (see above), brown butter (duh) and ricotta (swoon). The sage + thyme-infused brown butter adds a rich, comforting nuttiness and it works perfectly with the sweet, roasted delicata squash, tangy pomegranate perils and creamy ricotta. I also add a liiiittle bit of sherry vinegar to the sauce to help cut through the richness.

This pasta is the ideal indulgent meal for a fall weekend night. Just plop me on the couch with a big bowl of this pasta, some wine in hand and a movie playing and I’m a happy camper!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium delicata squash, sliced into 1/8 inch half moons or rings

• Kosher salt

• Olive oil

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 2 sage leaves

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 1/2 lb dry bucatini or spaghetti

• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus some extra for finishing

• 2 tsp sherry vinegar

• 1/3 cup ricotta

• 1/4 cup pomegranate perils

METHOD

1. Roast the delicata squash:
   Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
   
   Toss slices of squash with a big pinch of kosher salt and coat with olive oil.
   
   Lay slices in a single layer on separate sheet trays and transfer to the oven to cook for 15-20 mins (depending on your oven), flipping the pieces of squash halfway through to ensure both sides turn golden brown.

2. Make the herby brown butter:
   While the squash is in the oven, add the unsalted butter, sage and thyme to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
   
   Allow the butter to bubble, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the milk solids turn a light amber color and the butter begins to smells nutty. The butter will splutter as it cooks and that’s totally normal – that’s the water in the butter cooking out.
   
   Once the butter turns amber in color, immediately transfer to a bowl to stop the cooking process – this can go from perfectly brown to burnt really fast.
   
   Fish out the thyme stems but leave the sage and thyme leaves in the butter.

3. Make the pasta:
   Cook the bucatini in a large pot of boiling, salted water one minute less than you usually would to reach al dente.
   
   Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, heat up the herby browned butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
   
   Add the roasted squash, reserving a handful for garnish, and saute in the butter just until the pieces of squash are heated through.
   
   Add the bucatini, pasta water, Parmesan and sherry vinegar. With the heat on, continually toss the pasta with tongs while the sauce thickens and emulsifies, a few minutes. Add additional kosher salt, to taste.

4. Serve:
   Divide the pasta into four bowls.
   
   Top each with a dusting of freshly grated parm, a few pieces of the reserved roasted delicata squash, a dollop of ricotta and a spoonful pomegranate perils.

NOTES

• Squash: I like delicata for this dish, but you can also sub with roasted butternut or acorn squash! This is also a great use for any leftover roasted squash you have in the refrigerator.

• Tossing the Pasta: After the pasta, pasta water, sherry vinegar and parm have been added, it’s key to continually stir the pasta with your tongs over the heat. As the noddles rub against each other from being stirred, they’ll release starch. That starch, paired with the starchy pasta water will emulsify with the butter to make a thick, creamy sauce. Be patient – it will take a minute or two for the sauce to reach a creamy consistency. Just keep stirring + tossing!