This easy pasta recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti tossed with cubes of roasted butternut squash, toasted pine nuts, garlic, fresh sage and butter to make a soul-satisfying meatless dinner with rich, nutty flavor.
Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage
Whole wheat spaghetti tossed with roasted butternut squash, toasted pine nuts, garlic and fresh sage makes a quick and hearty meatless meal.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 medium, 1 to 1-1/4 lb butternut squash (or frozen, see notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, pignoli
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan or Romano cheese for grating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, peel, cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Arrange the squash on the baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife.
- While the squash is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, garlic and chopped sage and cook until the garlic is barely golden, 2 minutes (do not brown). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and drain.
- Return the pan with the pine nuts and garlic to the stove over medium heat. Add the butter and heat until foamy.
- Add the roasted squash, spaghetti and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta liquid. Toss gently, season to taste with salt and pepper and add the balance of the pasta liquid if needed.
- To serve, plate individual portions of pasta and top with grated cheese.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Shortcut:
You can easily use 1 lb. of frozen butternut squash in place of fresh in this recipe. Allow it to thaw partially (about 1 hour), then proceed as you would with the fresh squash. Because most frozen squash has been blanched, it will probably cook more quickly than fresh, so check it for tenderness after 10 minutes. Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
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