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Butternut Squash Penne
Served with mushroom ragout
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Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 35 minutes |
- 1-1/2 lbs. butternut squash
- 1-1/2 lbs. button mushrooms
- 1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 bunch sage
- ½ pt. heavy cream
- 1 lb. best quality penne, or other dried pasta
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- Sea salt
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Large stockpot or pasta pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Nonstick fry pan
- Paring knife
- Spatula
- Steamer
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Vegetable Peeler
- Whisk
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Chianti
- Dessert: Apple Tart
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Fill the pasta pot 2/3 with water, add 2 tbsps. salt and put over high heat
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine and pour yourself a glass
- Prep
- Peel and scoop out the seeds and strings from the squash.
- Cut the squash into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Wipe the mushrooms if they are dirty. (If you’re in a real hurry, quickly rinse them under water, turn them into a tea towel and wrap them up so the towel absorbs any water).
- Thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Rinse and pat dry the parsley. Pluck ½ cup leaves.
- Pluck 5 large or 10 small sage leaves.
- Peel the garlic. Mince 2 cloves.
- Start Cooking
- Put 2 tbsps. oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, cover the bottom of the pan with squash slices. Salt them and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn the squash slices, salt them again and cook until they are nearly tender, another 2 minutes. Remove the slices from the pan and keep them warm. Repeat with any remaining squash.
- Mince the remaining 2 cloves garlic with ½ cup of the parsley and put it into a small bowl. Pour 1 generous tbsp. olive oil over it, mix, reserve.
- Put the mushrooms in the nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook, shaking the pan often, until the mushrooms give up their liquid, 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, drain the mushrooms.
- If the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta. Stir.
- Return the skillet to the heat, add 2 tbsps. oil and the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Shake the pan to stir the mushrooms, and cook until they are golden all over, which will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the parsley, garlic, and oil mixture to the mushrooms, stir and shake the pan to mix it and cook for 1 more minute. Season them with salt and black pepper and remove from the heat.
- Mince the sage leaves.
- Check the pasta. If it is al dente drain it, reserving some of the cooking water.
- Put the pasta back in the stockpot or in a large bowl, pour over half of the heavy cream, add the minced sage, a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper and toss, toss, toss.
- If the pasta is dry, add some cooking water or more cream, 1 tbsp. at a time until it’s the way you like it. Adjust the seasonings.
- Turn the pasta out onto a large platter. Arrange the squash on top.
- Put the mushrooms in a bowl, and take everything to the table. Don’t forget the wine!
