This beautiful fall pasta dish celebrates the often overlooked delicata squash. Creamy and sweet, this green and yellow striated squash is roasted until golden brown, then tossed with toothy tagliatelle pasta in a nutty, brown butter sauce. Topped with toasted walnuts, crispy sage, and a healthy dose of Parmesan — dinner is deliciously served!

Tagliatelle Pasta with Roasted Delicata Squash and Crispy Sage Sauce
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 cup walnut halves
1 large, (or two small) delicata squash
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup butter
15-20 sage leaves, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb tagliatelle pasta

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the walnut halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 5-8 minutes. Stir halfway through to ensure even cooking. Once browned and fragrant, remove walnuts from the ovenand set aside to cool.

TIP: Delicata squash does not have to be peeled, and is much easier to cut than say, wrangling a butternut squash. This makes this dish a quick-and-easy weeknight pasta! The striated green and yellow skin is tender and offers a textural depth to the dish, while the squash’s flavor is slightly sweet and nutty.

2. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Scrub the delicata squash and cut off the stem and root ends. Halve the squash lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1/2" wide pieces, leaving the peel on.

3. In a medium bowl, add the squash, garlic, and shallots. Toss with the olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper until coated. Evenly spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until the squash becomes tender and begins to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

4. In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the butter and stir constantly until it begins to turn from yellow to light brown. Add the sage leaves and cook in the butter until crisp, using tongs to individually turn each leaf so that both sides are cooked. Once crispy, remove the sage leaves from the butter and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue to cook the butter until it is brown and has a rich, nutty aroma. Add the vegetable stock and dry white wine. Continue to cook on a low simmer until the sauce has reduced by almost half. Remove the Dutch oven from heat and set aside.

5. Boil the pasta according to the directions and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta reserving some of the pasta water. Immediately toss the pasta in the brown butter sauce. Add the lemon juice and reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time as needed to coat the pasta. 6. Add in the delicata squash, garlic, shallots, and Parmesan cheese, and top with the crispy sage and walnuts. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.