Weeknight Cooking

Brown Butter Pasta With Butternut Squash, Walnuts & Sage

October 27, 2021
4
7 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham. Prop Stylist: Veronica Olson. Food Stylist: Ericka Martins..
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This one-pan fall dish comes together in a flash. Thanks to the sloped sides of the All-Clad D3® Stainless 12-inch Fry Pan, swirling the butter is a cinch as it browns, its intoxicating aroma filling the kitchen. Be sure to season each batch of squash slices as they sauté, and be generous with the sage. The toasty flavors harmonize for a quintessential autumnal meal, bringing everyone back to the pan for seconds. —Melina Hammer

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is shared in partnership with All-Clad, and was developed using their D3® Stainless 12-inch Fry Pan. —The Editors

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Brown Butter Pasta With Butternut Squash, Walnuts & Sage
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound butternut squash (½ a small squash, sliced in half vertically), peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick half moons
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoons cayenne, depending on your penchant for spice
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces linguine pasta
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted until golden and coarsely chopped
  • 16 to 20 stems fresh sage, leaves plucked from stems
Directions
  1. Prepare the squash: Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and lower the heat to medium. Sauté the squash slices in batches, sprinkling about one-quarter of the nutmeg and cayenne and seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes on the first side, tilting the pan to coat the squash slices in oil, then flip and sprinkle again with the nutmeg and cayenne. Sauté for 3 more minutes or until the squash slices are translucent and caramelized in parts. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Repeat with the remaining squash. Once all slices are cooked, transfer to the same dish.
  2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.
  3. While the pasta cooks, melt butter in the pan used to cook the squash. After foaming subsides, swirl occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until the butter produces a nutty aroma and deepens to a toasty brown. Add the walnuts and swirl to coat. Add the sage leaves and toss to coat. When the pasta is cooked, use tongs to transfer the noodles to the brown butter mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Turn the heat off. Add the squash back to the pan and toss together to combine with the pasta.
  4. Divide the pasta evenly into 4 bowls, season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

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Melina is the author of 'A Year at Catbird Cottage' with Ten Speed Press. She grows an heirloom and pollinator garden and forages wild foods at her namesake Hudson Valley getaway, Catbird Cottage. Melina loves serving curated menus for guests from near and far seeking community amidst the hummingbirds, grosbeaks, finches, and the robust flavors of the seasons.

6 Reviews

Chocolatebabka December 7, 2021
Rich and very tasty. Came together easily.
Melina H. December 7, 2021
Lovely! It's almost too easy for how good it is... :)
FrugalCat November 9, 2021
If you are cooking the pasta in another pot, this is not a one -pan dish as claimed.
Jan P. November 8, 2021
Made the recipe for dinner last night, it was easy and delicious. I also added some sliced onions with the walnuts.
AnnieB October 28, 2021
Recipe sounds divine!

Love the idea of the "Add Ingredients" button to create a shopping list... if only it worked. It put several ingredients in my cart that had nothing to do with the recipe and left several ingredients out.
Melina H. October 29, 2021
Argh, sorry that's not working for you. I'll alert someone who can do something about it. Once you've tried this recipe, can't wait to hear your feedback :)