Orecchiette With Butternut Squash Cinnamon And Mint Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add squash seeds and pulp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until seeds puff and turn golden, 10 minutes. Season with salt; transfer to a plate. Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet; melt. Add sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 2 minutes. Transfer to another plate. Add squash flesh to skillet. Season with salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 minutes.
• Stir in pasta, 1/2 cup pasta water, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until pasta is evenly coated; season with salt. Top with squash pulp and seeds, sage leaves, ricotta, and poppy seeds. Drizzle with oil and serve.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the olive oil, garlic and sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate, keeping all the oil in the skillet. Add the squash to the skillet; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is lightly browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the oregano.
• When you add the squash to the skillet, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain.
• Add the sausage and garlic, pasta and 1 cup cooking water to the skillet with the squash. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pasta is well coated, about 1 minute. Add more of the remaining cooking water if the mixture seems dry; season with salt.
• Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with the Parmesan and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and/or basil.

Steps:

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Peel the butternut squash and cut into 1/2-inch squares, discarding the seeds and fibrous parts of the squash. Place the 1/2-inch pieces on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Lightly drizzle the olive oil over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Step 2 Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring once or twice until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain and reserve 3/4 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
• Step 3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, season with kosher salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cook until the shallots are translucent. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of cinnamon to the pan, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until shallots are evenly coated. Add the pasta water to the pan over low heat while gradually swirling in the butter. A glossy sauce will form in the pan.
• Step 4 Add the pasta and squash to the pan over medium heat, and toss to coat with the sauce. Add the lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, stir to combine. Season the pasta with a generous amount of kosher salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pasta with the remaining Parmesan, cinnamon and the chopped mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven, or a large (12-inch) skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it doesn't burn.)
• Stir in shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add squash, sage, a large pinch of salt, the 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and cook until squash is golden at the edges and begins to soften, 12 to 17 minutes.
• Add stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest and the 1 teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 14 to 18 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the pan dries out before the orzo and squash are tender, add a splash or two of water.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed, and a squeeze of lemon juice if the dish needs brightness. Dollop with ricotta if using, and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan and black pepper just before serving, garnishing the top with more red-pepper flakes and sage.