Roasted Squash Linguine

Roasted Squash Linguine

This is such a delicious dish for autumn. The onion squash, also known as red kuri squash has the most wonderfully soft interior and skin when roasted and makes a fantastic pasta sauce. I used fresh linguine for this from Daylesford Farm which was perfect for this. I’ve finished off this roasted squash linguine with a nutty sage and rosemary browned butter that takes this dish to the next level. Perfect for a dinner party or date night.

Ingredients

| Serves 4 |

For the pasta

  • 250g fresh linguine, I used Daylesford farm Organic fresh pasta (or use 300g dry pasta and increase cooking time)

  • 1 onion squash

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 50g finely grated Grana Padano

  • 4-5 tbsp olive oil

  • sea salt

  • 100-200ml hot water

  • 25g butter

  • zest of one lemon

For the pecan, rosemary, sage butter

  • 80g butter

  • 30g  pecans, roughly chopped or crushed

  • about 12 sage leaves

  • a handful of rosemary leaves

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200 C fan setting.

  • Cut the onion squash in half, remove the seeds and cut into wedges. Place on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then add the garlic cloves (still in their skins) to the pan. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the squash has cooked through and slightly charred.

  • You will only need about half your squash for this (around 450g). Reserve the rest to add into salads.

  • Allow the squash to cool just enough that you can pick it up. Transfer 350g of cooked squash to a high-speed blender or magimix. Peel the cooked garlic and add this too. Add the grated Grana Padano, olive oil, a good pinch of salt and 100ml hot water. Blend until you have a thick puree, adding more water if you need to.

  • Set a large saucepan of water on to boil for the pasta and prepare the butter. Place the 80g butter, sage leaves, rosemary leaves and pecans into a medium-sized saucepan. Place it on a low to medium heat, allowing the butter to melt and the herb leaves to sizzle for approx. 5 mins. The butter is done when you can begin to see brown flecks within it and it smells nutty. At this point switch off the heat.

  • Cook the linguine for just 3 minutes. As the pasta cooks, set a large wide pan on a low heat. Add the squash sauce to this pan ready for the pasta.

  • Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce, along with a ladle of cooking water and a knob of butter. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce.  Then, using your hands roughly break in a couple of remaining cooked wedges of squash (about 150g). Add the zest of lemon and toss again to incorporate.

  • Transfer the linguine onto plates and spoon over the pecan, rosemary, sage butter.

For more spaghetti recipes try this Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca or this Crab Spaghetti.