Tagliatelle Pasta in Savory Pumpkin Sauce
Creamy acorn squash tagliatelle with roasted garlic, fried sage, and Parmesan. Easy tips for swaps, make ahead, and pairings.
This pasta recipe brings together the typically sweet pairing of acorn squash and nutmeg with savory garlic confit and salty parmesan cheese. Try pairing with seafood, such as shrimp, scallops, or clams, and a glass of dry white wine.
Yield: 4-6 servings of sauce
- Roast acorn squash and whole garlic until caramelized, then blend with stock, butter, honey, and nutmeg for a silky sauce.
- Fry fresh sage in olive oil for a crisp garnish and finish undercooked tagliatelle in the sauce with reserved pasta water.
- Swap wide noodles, use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version, and pair the dish with shellfish and a dry white wine.
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Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice acorn squash into quarters, remove seeds. Drizzle squash in olive oil, season with salt and cracked pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet pan.
Slice garlic bulb transversely, cutting off the top and exposing cloves. Place on a sheet of cooking foil, coat in olive oil, wrap in foil.
Bake squash and garlic until squash is tender and garlic is tender and caramelized. (Approximately 1 hour.)
While squash and garlic are baking, fry sage leaves in ⅔ inch of olive oil. Gently remove the sage from the oil and place the crispy sage leaves on a piece of paper towel to dry.
Once the squash and garlic are cool enough to handle, scoop squash from the skin with a spoon and separate tender garlic cloves from the paper skin. Add them to a blender along with chicken stock. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. While blender is running, slowly add honey, butter, and nutmeg. Taste sauce and make any adjustments to your liking.
Cook your pasta in salted and oiled water.
Heat a portion of the sauce in a sauté pan. Add al dente tagliatelle noodles and a small splash of pasta water to the sauté pan, finishing the noodles in the sauce. Swirl noodles together with a fork or set of tongs and plate.
Finish dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fried sage leaves, and additional grated nutmeg to taste.
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More About This Recipe
Undercooking the pasta and finishing it in the sauce lets the sauce and noodles marry in texture and flavor. While this recipe is written for tagliatelle noodles, any wide noodle will work well with this sauce. Linguine and pappardelle are good options as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different squash if I do not have acorn squash?
Yes. Butternut, kabocha, or sugar pie pumpkin work well. Adjust roasting time for size and moisture. Sweeter squashes may need less honey or a touch more salt.
How can I make this dish dairy free or vegan?
Use vegetable stock, swap butter for vegan butter or olive oil, and replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast or a vegan grated cheese. Replace honey with maple syrup to keep it vegan.
Can I prepare parts of this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. Roast the squash and garlic and blend the sauce up to 3 days ahead. Keep fried sage until serving so it stays crisp. Cook pasta and finish in the sauce just before plating.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. If pasta is dressed, refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently on low, adding a splash of pasta water or stock to loosen the sauce.
What type of pasta works best and how do I time the cooking?
Wide noodles are ideal. Tagliatelle, pappardelle, or linguine all work. Undercook the pasta by 1 to 2 minutes, then finish it in the sauce with some reserved pasta water so the flavors bind.
How do I fry sage without burning it and what are good alternatives?
Heat about two thirds inch of olive oil until shimmering, fry sage leaves quickly until they crisp, then drain on paper towel. Watch carefully because sage browns fast. Alternatives include crisp thyme, rosemary, or toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.
What proteins and wines pair well with this dish?
Shellfish like shrimp, scallops, or clams are classic matches. Pancetta or seared chicken also work. Choose a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay.
Can I use a different squash if I do not have acorn squash?
Yes. Butternut, kabocha, or sugar pie pumpkin work well. Adjust roasting time for size and moisture. Sweeter squashes may need less honey or a touch more salt.
How can I make this dish dairy free or vegan?
Use vegetable stock, swap butter for vegan butter or olive oil, and replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast or a vegan grated cheese. Replace honey with maple syrup to keep it vegan.
Can I prepare parts of this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. Roast the squash and garlic and blend the sauce up to 3 days ahead. Keep fried sage until serving so it stays crisp. Cook pasta and finish in the sauce just before plating.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. If pasta is dressed, refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently on low, adding a splash of pasta water or stock to loosen the sauce.
What type of pasta works best and how do I time the cooking?
Wide noodles are ideal. Tagliatelle, pappardelle, or linguine all work. Undercook the pasta by 1 to 2 minutes, then finish it in the sauce with some reserved pasta water so the flavors bind.
How do I fry sage without burning it and what are good alternatives?
Heat about two thirds inch of olive oil until shimmering, fry sage leaves quickly until they crisp, then drain on paper towel. Watch carefully because sage browns fast. Alternatives include crisp thyme, rosemary, or toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.
What proteins and wines pair well with this dish?
Shellfish like shrimp, scallops, or clams are classic matches. Pancetta or seared chicken also work. Choose a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay.
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