_900.png "Butternut Squash Pasta With Tuscan Kale")
Butternut squash has quickly become the most popular squash variety and it's easy to understand why! The sweetest of all squashes, it has a nutty flavour that is similar to a sweet potato with delicious hints of caramel and butterscotch.
The smooth, creamy texture of butternut squash when cooked is truly what makes this squash so special, and incredibly versatile. Butternut squash can be used in anything from purees and mashes, to baked goods, soups, and — of course — sauces, as we used it in this recipe!
This seasonal pasta recipe is the perfect, warm and comforting meal to enjoy on a crisp fall evening.
Meet Our Farmers & Producers
Boston Springs Farm
The beautiful butternut squash that is truly the star of this dish is from our friends at Boston Springs Farm in Waterford, ON!
Owned and operated by Shane Macmillan and Debbie Scheeringa, Boston Spring Farms grow a variety of vegetables including hot peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and, of course, squash!
They use integrated pest management and their products are grown both in greenhouses and in the fields.
Top Tomato Farm
Top Tomato now has one of the widest ranges of products available of the farms we work with, including the beautiful black kale in this recipe!
The de Filippis family has been farming for over 55 years growing many varieties of vegetables including artichokes, squashes, tomatoes. kale, broccoli, cabbages and more!
Alliston Creamery
Alliston's "Golden Dawn" brand of butter is such a delicious silky smooth butter that has a beautiful flavour made using milk from the Niagara and Golden Horseshoe region.
Hewitt's Dairy
The sour cream in this butternut squash pasta sauce adds a silky texture to the sauce that is to die for!
Founded in 1887, Hewitt’s Dairy is known for it’s high quality fluid milk and milk products, especially it’s line of goat dairy products.
Ingredients
- 1 x Boston Springs butternut squash (in this week's produce boxes!)
- 400g Top Tomato Tuscan kale (black kale)
- 4 tbsp Hewitt's sour cream
- 2 tbsp Golden Dawn unsalted butter
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt & pepper to taste
- 350g pasta of choice
- shaved Parmesan cheese to serve
Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Using a vegetable peeler, prepare your butternut squash for roasting by peeling away the thick beige skin.
Cut your squash in half and remove the seeds. Once seeds are removed, cut each squash half into 3 equal sized pieces (so you should have six pieces of squash in total).
Lay your squash, flat side down on a baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil. Place in the oven to cook for 40-50 minutes or until soft. The softer you get your squash, the creamier your pasta sauce will be and the easier your squash will be to puree smooth.
Place a large pot of boiling water on the stove and season with salt. This will be for cooking your pasta. Cover with a lid and bring your water to a boil. Once it's boiled, turn off the element and leave your pot covered. When you're ready to cook your pasta, this water will re-boil in no time!
Once your squash is done roasting, remove them from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the squash over to your food processor and puree until smooth.
While the squash is pureeing, clean and cut your Tuscan kale (also known as black kale) into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Bring your salted water back to a boil. Cook your pasta according to packet instructions. Keep in mind that if you are using fresh pasta, the cooking time will be much less than if you use dried pasta.
You can use virtually any noodle you'd like in this recipe. We used mezza rotini as there are nice big pockets for this delicious sauce to get trapped in each noodle!
While your pasta cooks, melt the butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan and add the rosemary sprigs and sage. Allow to cook gently until the butter browns (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and remove the sprigs of rosemary and sage.
Transfer the flavoured butter to a skillet or frying pan and immediately add the squash puree, sour cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are combined. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out by adding some more sour cream or pasta water and stir to combine. You want the thickness of the sauce to be similar to tomato based pasta sauce.
Strain your pasta and add it back into your large pot. Immediately pour in your butternut squash sauce and your black kale and toss well to coat.
Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with some of your fried sage and rosemary for the perfect fall meal.
Did You Try This Recipe?
If so, we'd love to see your finished product of your Butternut Squash & Tuscan Black Kale Pasta! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram at @themarketat100kmfoods.
