Chef Veera

Spaghetti with Butternut Squash Carbonara

Ingredients

(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)

12 oz O&V Handmade Spaghetti *

4 oz pancetta, chopped (or thick cut bacon, chopped)

1 package (12 oz) frozen butternut squash purée, thawed (see Chef Note)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoon minced fresh sage

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (plus for serving)

4 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 2 ½ cups), divided

Fresh sage leaves for garnish

1 tablespoon O&V Unflavored EVOO (more as needed) *

Preparation

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

In a large skillet, cook the chopped pancetta over medium heat until crispy (5-8 minutes) and then transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet (discard the rest of the drippings). If you don’t have about 2 tablespoons of dripping left in the pan, add olive oil to the pan to make up about 2 tablespoons of fat.

Add 10-12 whole sage leaves to the hot oil and let them cook in a single layer for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Set aside for garnishing.

Microwave the defrosted squash purée to warm, and add the garlic powder, onion powder, minced fresh sage and honey to the purée. Combine well. See Chef Note below if you choose to roast whole butternut squash instead.

Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Carefully drizzle in the approximately 2 tablespoons of warm pan drippings and oil whisking constantly to combine (this will cook the eggs, but be careful not to let the eggs curdle. The goal is a creamy sauce not one that looks like scrambled eggs!!).

Add in the warm squash purée, salt and pepper, as well as 1½ cups of grated cheese. Gradually drizzle in the hot pasta water (you may not need all of it) whisking constantly so as not to curdle the egg but creating a nice sauce for the pasta. Add the hot, drained pasta and toss well to coat. Adjust the sauciness by adding more pasta water as needed.

Serve pasta topped with crispy pancetta, fried sage leaves, remaining sprinkled on top and garnish with additional grinds of freshly cracked pepper.

Serves 4

Active time 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Chef Note

Using frozen butternut squash purée makes this an easy weeknight meal, but instead, you can also cut up a butternut squash, mix with a chopped shallot, 3-4 cloves of garlic and a little EVOO. Then roast in a 425 F oven for 30 minutes. Remove and blend in a blender or food processor to create a nice smooth purée. Then proceed with the recipe as written.

Notes

* The Hand Made Spaghetti is bronze die cut which gives it a nice rough surface better to hold onto your sauce. As always, these kinds of high-quality ingredients will make a huge difference in the ultimate taste of the dish.

Any medium intensity Unflavored EVOO will work nicely in this recipe.

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Categories: Entrée, Pasta, Fall Pasta, Butternut Squash Carbonara, Pancetta, Unflavored EVOO, Hand-Made Spaghetti, Weeknight Meal, 30-Minute Dinner,