Recipe: Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Linguine with Fried Sage

This is a vegan recipe.  However, if you feel the need for some extra protein, throw some grilled chicken or shrimp in. I did and it was uh-may-zing.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

2 pound butternut or kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into small ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (up to ¼ teaspoon for spicier pasta sauce)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

12 ounces whole grain linguine or fettuccine

Parmesan for garnish

Lo Note: I used a lentil noodle for this recipe.  Lentil noodles are super tasty, but they get mushy really easily.  So if the box says to boil them for 6 minutes…check dem bishes at 4 minutes.

Directions:

1. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and let it get crispy before transferring it to a small bowl. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and set the bowl aside.

2. Add the squash, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

4. Once the squash mixture is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, but keep the skillet handy. Puree the mixture until smooth (beware of hot steam escaping from the top of the blender), then season with salt and pepper until the flavors sing.

5. In the reserved skillet, combine the pasta, squash puree and ¼ cup cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, tossing and adding more pasta cooking water as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve the pasta topped with fried sage and Parmesan.

Recipe inspiration found HERE.

Follow us on Twitter @FlairHuxtable, Instagram @Flair.Huxtable and @HomeBrewedLove, and Facebook at @Flair Huxtable! Then buy Lo’s first book, “The Semester,” HERE!