“Fahr-fah-lee.”  I love this word! So uplifting, it makes me smile… In my next life I want to be Italian. 😉

This recipe comes from The Splendid Table, from which I recently posted another recipe .  I don’t know about you, but even though I own a big collection of cookbooks, when I pick a recipe from one of them the chances are that I’ll make two or three in a row.

SWEET ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GREENS OVER BOW-TIE PASTA
(from The Splendid Table)

5 qt salted water

For the roasted veggies
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 big handfuls of escarole or spring mix of your choice
1/3 cup basil leaves, torn
16 large sage leaves, torn
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For pasta finish
1 pound bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
1/2 cup half and half
6 ounces asiago cheese

Turn the oven to 450F and bring water to boil.  Toss all the ingredients for the roasted veggies in a big bowl, place them in a shallow roasting pan (preferably in a single layer), and place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender.  Toss the veggies around a couple of times during roasting.

Cook the pasta until al dente, drain in a colander.  Once the squash is tender, turn the broiler on for a few minutes if you want to brown it slightly. The greens will be fully wilted, and almost crisp.

Scrape everything into a serving bowl, add the half and half, hot pasta and 1 cup of the cheese.  Toss to blend, adjust seasoning, and serve, adding more cheese on top if you want.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

receita em portugues ao final da segunda pagina

Comments: This preparation perked my interest for two reasons. First, anything that joins pasta and butternut squash turns me on, gastronomically speaking. 😉 Secondly, I was curious about roasting greens together with the squash, something I’d never done before.  Since the same book had me frying a boiled egg with a happy ending, why not roast a few pieces of frisee?

We both loved this pasta – even leftovers next day were still tasty.  To speed things up, I peeled and cut the squash early in the morning, so when we arrived from work all I had to do was put the pasta water to boil, turn on the oven and dinner was ready in 35 minutes. I gave myself a pat on the back!

Jump to the next page for a little story about butternut squash and the North Shore of Oahu….

Butternut squash will always remind me of Alex, one of my stepsons. Actually, all three stepsons hate  squash with a passion, which is a very sad turn of events. A few years ago, we took the  family to the North Shore of Oahu, one of our favorite spots on this planet.    On Waimea Beach a famous rock stands 30 feet high above the water, inviting many people to jump from it into the sea. I’m totally scared of heights and a poor swimmer, having learned to swim only a few years ago

Every one of the boys plus their respective girlfriends jumped off the rock, but to me it seemed like a fun thing not to do. Alex kept insisting I should jump, “c’mon, you know how to swim now, you can do it“… “you know you want to do it“…. Finally, realizing I was not even slightly tempted, he said: “ok, if you jump, I promise to eat some butternut squash!”

So, this certified-coward climbed up on the rock, contemplated the water waaaay down below, said her mental “goodbye cruel world”, and jumped. Any person who would do that for butternut squash has to become a food blogger. So here I am.

CANTINHO BRASILEIRO

PASTA GRAVATINHA COM ABOBORA E VERDURA ASSADA
(Slendid Table)

água salgada para cozinhar a pasta

Para os legumes assados
1 kg de abóbora, descascada, sem sementes e cortada em pedaços
1 cebola média, picada
2 punhados grandes de escarola ou verduras de sua preferencia
1 / 3 xícara de folhas de manjericão, cortadas
16 grandes folhas de sálvia, cortadas
2 dentes de alho picados
1 / 3 xícara de azeite
1 / 4 colher de chá de pimenta vermelha em flocos
1 colher de sopa de açúcar mascavo
sal e pimenta do reino moída

Para finalizar
500g macarrao tipo gravatinha
1 / 2 xicara de creme de leite
3/4 xicara de queijo Asiago (ou parmiggiano), ralado

Ligue o forno a 230 C e coloque a água para ferver.

Coloque os ingredientes para o legumes assados em uma tigela grande, misture bem, transfira para uma assadeira rasa (de preferência em uma única camada) e coloque no forno por 25 minutos, ou até a abóbora ficar macia. Misture algumas vezes com uma espatula ao longo dos 25 minutos.

Cozinhe o macarrão até ficar al dente, escorra. Uma vez que a abóbora esteja macia, aumente a temperatura do forno, ate’ que comece a ficar bem dourada em alguns pontos. As verduras vao estar bem murchas e quase crocantes.
Transfira a mistura para uma tigela, acrescente o creme de leite, a pasta ainda quente e o queijo ralado. Incorpore tudo delicadamente, e sirva, com um pouco mais de queijo ralado por cima.