Pastas

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Each year I anxiously await the Butternut Squash Ravioli from Costco. It is so delicious prepared with this recipe OR cooked according to package directions and served with Lingonberry Jam (from Ikea).

This recipe was divine and I added about a cup of chopped cooked chicken to the recipe for extra protein. Adding a protein is strictly optional, but I thought it was very good.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 9 oz butternut squash ravioli (2 packages 18 oz total)
  • 6 tablespoon salted butter cut into tbsps
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage julienned and packed
  • ½ cup parmigiano grated
  • ¼ cup reserved pasta water
  • flaky salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Prepare butternut squash according to the box/bag – usually boiled or 4 minutes. Making sure to save some pasta water for later.
  2. While that’s boiling, start the brown butter sauce.
  3. Add 6 tablespoon of salted butter to a medium sized nonstick pan over medium heat.
  4. Continue cooking and stirring while the butter bubbles and begins to darken.
  5. Once the color is a warm acorn brown, turn the heat off and immediately add the sage and stir — the sage will get crispy as it fries in the brown butter.
  6. Then add the cooked butternut squash ravioli, the pasta water and half the parmesan cheese. Cook and gently toss for another minute or so until the cheese melts into the pasta water and coats the ravioli.
  7. Plate and finish with flaky salt, fresh cracked pepper and remaining parmigiano.

Recipe from GrilledCheeseSocial

Breads · Garden

Delicata Squash and Sage Biscuits

This recipe has been in my ‘must try’ stack for two years. Finally, I had the delicata squash and the motivation to make them and I was not disappointed. Oh my gosh, they are so flaky and delicious. My garden sage was plentiful, so it was the perfect time. Wouldn’t these be wonderful for the Thanksgiving table?

Delicata Squash and Sage Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 medium-small delicata squash (½ cup squash purée)
  • 2 cups unbleached white flour
  • 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 2 Tbsp. cane sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
  • 1 small bunch of fresh sage (1 ½ tsp. chopped and 10 whole leaves for garnish)
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • For the egg wash:
    • 1 small egg
    • 1 Tbsp. milk
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Slice the delicata squash in half, lengthwise. Remove all the seeds and stringy pulp around the seeds. Place the squash halves cut-side facing down on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400F oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife pierces the flesh like soft butter. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Scoop out the roasted flesh and discard the skins. Mash by hand with a potato masher, or if you wish, purée with a hand blender until smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup of squash purée. Chill the purée in the fridge.
  2. 2In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Place this mixture in the freezer while you prepare the wet ingredients (about 5 to 10 minutes).
  3. 3In another bowl, mix the chilled cream, squash purée, and finely chopped sage. Whisk together until smooth. In another smaller bowl, make the egg wash by beating the egg and 1 Tbsp. of milk together.
  4. 4Remove the dry ingredients from the freezer. With a pastry cutter or your hands, make sure the grated butter is fully incorporated into the flour (it should look like bread crumbs). Gently add the squash and cream mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dough starts to come together. Using your hands, lightly knead the dough in the bowl, until uniform, but avoiding overhandling it.
  5. 5Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and either roll or simply press the dough out to 3/4 inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 inch round or square cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits. Brush the tops with egg wash and gently press a whole sage leaf on top of each biscuit. Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 400F oven, until golden on top. Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and serve warm.

Recipe from PBS Food Recipes

Pastas

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage is the perfect comfort meal for a cold, wintery day. It packs so much flavor with the creamy goodness of the Orzo. Often, I tire of leftovers, but not this Orzo dish. Just writing about it makes me want to run to the kitchen and make it again.

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage

INGREDIENTS:
  • 12 oz Italian sausage casings removed (I used 3 sausage links)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup butternut squash puree
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 oz orzo uncooked
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Remove the sausage from casings, and slice the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.
  2. Add sliced sausage and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes on one side, without turning, to get the sausage slices browned. Flip over to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
  3. Make creamy butternut squash sauce: To the same skillet with sausage, add heavy cream, chicken stock, butternut squash puree, 1 T. sage, and minced garlic.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat, reduce to low-medium heat, stir everything well. Cook for about 5 or more minutes. Make sure the garlic is cooked to your liking, and the sauce thickens. Cook longer if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove from heat.
  5. While the sauce cooks for 5 or more minutes, cook the orzo as described below.
  6. Cook orzo: Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook orzo according to package instructions. In my case, I cooked orzo al dente for 7 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat. Drain but do not rinse.
  7. Assembly: Add cooked orzo to the skillet with creamy butternut squash and sausage. Stir in half of the fresh sage and half of the fresh thyme.
  8. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  9. Season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.
  10. Tip: use your best judgment about the salt. If the sausage is salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt.
  11. When serving, top with the remaining half of the fresh sage and the remaining half of the fresh thyme.

Recipe from Julia’s Album

Family Favorites · New Favorite · Pastas

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Goat Cheese

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Goat Cheese is such a treat.  My daughter, Megan, suggested I make it when I asked what I could make with leftover canned pumpkin.

The recipe is so easy and is plate of fall goodness complimented by a great salad and bread.  Easy peasy dinner that will please a family or guest!

Pumpkin Pasta Dinner with sausage and goat cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15-ounce can pumpkin puree or a scant 2 cups of pumpkin puree
A few fresh sage leaves and a few sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
A good pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2–2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with 1 pound al dente linguini pasta, or any cooked pasta you like.

Top with:
Well-browned ground Italian sausage
Goat cheese crumbles
Toasted pine nuts
Parsley
Red pepper flakes

  • To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and chopped herbs.
  • Increase heat to medium and add all of the spices. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened to your desired sauce consistency. Add more stock as you see fit. Taste and season with salt and pepper (and even more spices) to your taste.
  • Toss boiled pasta in the warm sauce. To serve, top with sausage or sausage alternative, goat cheese crumbled (or parmesan), toasted pine nuts (or any kind of crunch) and chopped parsley.