Autumn Linguine
The weather is cooling down and, if you ever need an invitation to begin adding cream to your pasta sauces - this is it. This easy mid-week dinner is a celebration of your autumn garden harvest, with sweetly caramelised onion and garlicky fried squash. Comfort food at its autumnal best!
Autumn Linguine
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
1/2 butternut pumpkin (~800g), halved and cut into 1-2cm thick slices
2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage (plus a handful of extra sage leaves, to serve)
6 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 serves of linguine
1/4 cup walnuts
200g parmesan cheese
For the cream sauce
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup double cream (plus an optional extra 1/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp mustard powder
Salt to taste
250g squash (about 8 pattypan squash), cut into bite-sized wedges
Method
Toss the pumpkin with the chopped sage, garlic, a good pinch of salt and 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
Lay the pumpkin slices in a large frying pan and fry on high heat until pumpkin has turned soft (but not mushy) and deliciously caramelised on both sides (you may need to do this in two batches - add a little extra olive oil if the pan looks like it’s drying out). Transfer the cooked pumpkin to a plate.
Put your pasta on to cook in a large saucepan of salty water.
While the pasta cooks, make the cream sauce in the same frying pan that you used for the pumpkin. Fry the garlic with butter, cream, mustard powder and salt over low heat for a minute, then add the squash.
Fry until the squash has cooked through, adding 1/4 cup of the salted pasta water about halfway through so that the pan doesn’t dry out.
Spread the walnuts on an oven tray and pop under the grill for 2-5 minutes until lightly browned (carefully, they can burn quickly!). Remove from the grill and set aside.
Once your pasta is al dente, briefly drain it and then add it to the pan with the squash along with the parmesan cheese and (if desired) an additional 1/4 cup of cream.
Toss gently until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated in the cream sauce, then top with the pumpkin, walnuts and remaining fresh sage.
Serve with extra parmesan, freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste.
