Squash Carbonara with Pancetta and Sage

I have to say I don't make pasta much anymore but this one was calling my name. I try not to eat gluten very often so I made this with pasta made from quinoa. There are lots of options available these days so choose a pasta that works for your family.

Secondly anything made with winter squash interests me. Using it to make a sauce for pasta seemed like a healthy idea. This is creamy without cream, it's only squash and broth.

Prepare all your ingredients.  Wash and chop everything so that you are ready to cook without interruption.  This process is called mise en place.  Its the process of organizing and arranging ingredients in the kitchen for the cook. Its much easier to cook a recipe when you have everything at ready, in front of you. I didn't always practice this, and I'd get in the middle of a recipe and then have to stop to chop something and it was much for difficult, and often frustrating, to get something prepared.   Once I took cooking classes this was required and I quickly learned how beneficial it was, so now I do it every time. It saves time and my sanity in the kitchen.   My husband is great at this. He's my sous chef and he's always up for what we call "slicing and dicing" to help get the ingredients ready.

Both kabocha and butternut squash are perfect for purees, they cook up soft and smooth, so choose the one you prefer or can find easily.  

Ingredients: 
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped small  
1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely minced 
3 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces   
1 small onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea Salt 
Freshly cracked Pepper 
2 cups chicken stock 
12 ounces fettucine or linguine
1/4 cup pecorino, finely grated 

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet on medium high heat.  Add the pancetta and cook until crisp.  Add the sage and toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon remove the pancetta from the skillet and set aside. 

Add the squash and onion to the skillet, salt and pepper, and cook until slightly brown about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to cook and reduce about 15 to 20 minutes until the squash is soft. Allow to cool slightly, then puree.  Add the puree back to the skillet and add in the pancetta back in. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. 

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Reserve one cup of pasta water.  Add the pasta to the skillet with the squash, add a little pasta water at a time until you get a nicely coated pasta.  Add the grated pecorino and toss well. 

To serve, mound in a bowl or plate, grind a little freshly cracked pepper over it and slice a few pieces of pecorino on top using a vegetable peeler.   


Note:  I found that I had more squash then I needed so the next time I make this I might remove a little of the squash and keep it for another meal.  This squash is very rich so you need to determine how much of it you want on your pasta. I prefer mine a little lighter, but you may like using it all so experiment. 

This puree would also be good to use in a risotto or as a sauce for grilled foods.