Spicy Squash With Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using pumpkin or calabaza, cut into wedges; if using butternut squash, cut in half. Remove seeds; reserve for another use. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Place squash, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes. Flip squash; bake until very tender, 40 to 50 minutes more. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Scoop flesh into a medium bowl; discard skins.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon each thyme, sage, and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add squash; cook, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until heated through.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain well.
• Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cooked pasta, parsley, and remaining thyme, sage, and rosemary. Season with salt. Toss to combine; cook until heated through.
• Divide pasta evenly among serving bowls. Top with squash mixture and ricotta, dividing evenly. Garnish with parsley; drizzle with oil. Serve with Parmesan.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the sausage: In a sauté pan or skillet large enough to hold all the pasta, add the sausage and enough cold water to cover. Set over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat when the water hits a boil, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the sausage to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch coins. Dry out the pan and return it to the stove.
• In the same pan, heat the olive oil over high until nearly smoking. Add the sausage and cook, flipping once, until dark brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the squash and a pinch of salt to the pan. Let cook, stirring briefly and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• While the squash is browning, add pasta to boiling water, and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
• When the squash is nicely browned, add the butter and sage and cook until the butter is golden, nutty smelling and foaming, just a minute or two, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and add back the sausage.
• Add the pasta to the pan and mix with the brown-butter sauce (if the pasta has cooled off quite a bit, return the pan to low heat while you combine everything). Stir in the cheese, then add pasta water as needed to smooth the sauce. Adjust with salt and pepper, and serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (French nostick baking mat). Season squash with salt and pepper, and place, cut side up, on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Turn cut side down, and bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove squash from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scoop out flesh, discarding skins; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add perciatelli, and cook until al dente, according to manufacturers' directions.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, add garlic, a large pinch of salt, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Cook until garlic is golden and fragrant about 5 minutes. Add reserved squash, and heat through.
• In a second large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. When pasta is done, drain well, and add to pan with oil. Add parsley and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of thyme, sage, and rosemary. Season with salt, and toss to combine.
• Place ricotta in a large dollop in the center of the serving platter. Top with squash mixture. Cover with pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Saute onion in olive oil with hot pepper and garlic for 5 minutes.
• Add squash and dried herbs. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until squash is softened but not mushy.
• Add tomatoes and beans, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until heated through.
• Serve squash sauce over noodles and top with fresh herbs and cheese.