Pasta With Butternut Parmesan Sauce @ Dw Magazine.Com

Steps

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. 2Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half* and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them .
3. 3Pour 1/4 cup of water into a pyrex or ceramic baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down.
4. 4Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash.
5. 5Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
6. 6Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and pure with a blender (work in batches or place in a bowl and use a hand blender).
7. 7Discard the skins.
8. 8Fill a pot with water
9. 9and salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Set over high heat to bring to a hard boil.
10. 10Add the pasta and cook at a hard boil, uncovered until al dente.
11. 11While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a wide skillet on medium heat.
12. 12Add the shallots and saut until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
13. 13Add the butternut squash pure and c
14. 14ook for about a minute, mixing it in with the shallots.
15. 15Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, slowly stirring it in to incorporate and to avoid lumps.
16. 16Stir in the Parmesan.
17. 17Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
18. 18Add water (or chicken stock) to thin to the consistency you want.
19. 19Take off heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Cover the pan to keep warm.
20. 20Check pasta. When ready (al dente) drain and plate.
21. 21Pour the sauce over the pasta.
22. 22Garnish with a little extra parsley and Parmesan.
23. 23Serve immediately.
24. 24Be careful when you cut the squash, winter squash are hard! The best way to do it safely is to slice a bit off of both ends so that you can stand the squash upright without it rolling. Then cut down the middle.