Happy Fall Loves!
Did someone say LONG HOTS?
My sister and I were thinking which recipe would be the perfect fall dish for our readers to try out at home. Then it hit us, butternut squash pasta recipe. Nothing reminds us more than fall then a good butternut squash soup. Butternut squash is one of our favorite fall seasonal vegetables and is big in our household during this season. Instead of making the traditional soup, we came up with a pasta dish with a little extra zing with the spice of a long hot. We all know how much my sister and I love long hots from our episode in Florida when we cooked our entire cast a fabulous dinner and were going crazy in the super market looking for those long hot peppers.
We feel that the spice of the long hot pairs perfectly and adds the right amount of heat to the butternut squash. (If you don’t like spicy foods, obviously you can make the same recipe without the long hot pepper). We hope that you love our recipe and that your family loves it also. Please feel free to leave comments below and let us know how you enjoyed it.
Chao, Chao xo
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe with a Kick of Heat
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 sage leaves
1 long hot pepper
12 ounces whole wheat linguine (or other pasta)
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the butternut squash. Cook until soft, roughly about 12-15 minutes.
- While the squash is cooking, fry the sage leaves. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium/high heat until surface is simmering. De-stem the long hot pepper and cut it in half and add it to the skillet. Add a few leaves at a time and cook until crisp, but still bright green (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Season with salt. Set aside.
- Using a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the squash from the water and place in a large bowl. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook accordingly.
- Place the cooked butternut squash and long hot pepper in a large food processor or blender. Puree the squash until smooth. Add water or broth and puree until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. (You want a medium thickness, a little thicker than your average butternut squash soup).
- In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the pasta and stir until pasta is well coated. Chop two of the sage leaves and stir them into the pasta. Serve the pasta with remaining fried sage leaves and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.