Butternut Squash Carbonara with Fried Sage Leaves

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is my FAVORITE dish on the planet. Hands down. It’s not even close. Every single time you ask, that’s the answer you’re going to get.  I do love food (hello food blogger) so naturally there are MANY MANY foods that I love. Dishes that make me swoon practically lose my balance fall off my chair and even roll my eyes back into my head but there’s only one that’s always twisted around the top of my trophy fork and that’s Carbonara.

It’s not a complicated dish to make but it does take a little finesse. It’s about the timing and this isn’t a meal that you step away from when it’s done. It’s meant to be eaten straight away. Which for someone who doesn’t like to wait on much, is a very very good thing.

Now let’s just go ahead and talk about the eggs in this dish. If you’re concerned about eggs try using  Davidson’s Safest Choice pasteurized eggs.  “Davidson’s Safest Choice® Eggs are pasteurized in an all-natural, gentle water bath pasteurization process to eliminate the risk of Salmonella. The vast majority of eggs sold in grocery stores are NOT pasteurized. Safest Choice™ offers peace of mind when making recipes calling for raw or undercooked eggs, and removes the worry of cross contamination.

Pretty cool right? Now you know and can eat all the Carbonara you want. Okay maybe not ALL the Carbonara you want. I’d have to live on the treadmill if I did that and that wouldn’t be any fun now would it. Moderation. It’s a good thing. Well unless it’s chocolate and then all bets are off for me.

What I love about this dish besides being uber creamy and dreamy is that you can make the puree well in advance so when it’s time to pull the dish together it will only take you about 15 minutes. To make a squash puree simply cut a butternut squash in half vertically, scoop out and discard the seeds. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 until fork tender. Transfer to a blender and add chicken stock until it’s to your desired consistency. Amount of stock will depend on the size of your squash and your preference of consistency.

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Winter Squash Carbonara with Fried Sage Leaves

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Winter Squash Carbonara with Fried Sage Leaves

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 slices pancetta (or thick sliced bacon) - chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 cup butternut squash puree
• 3 eggs - beaten
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - grated
• kosher salt/pepper
• 9 sage leaves - fried
• 1 pound spaghetti

Instructions

1. Place 1 tablespoon of oil into large saute pan. Add pancetta and heat over medium heat. Cook until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
2. Remove pan from heat. Add garlic. Set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs and cheese. Season heavily with pepper. Set aside.
4. Place a large pot of generously salted water onto boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve pasta water. Drain.
5. Transfer cooked pasta to pan with bacon drippings. Toss to combine. Add squash puree. Toss to combine. Add egg and cheese mixture. Toss to combine. IF mixture needs thinning, add a little of the reserved pasta water.
6. Garnish with additional pepper and cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

To make a squash puree simply cut a butternut squash in half vertically, scoop out and discard the seeds. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 until fork tender. Transfer to a blender and add chicken stock until it's to your desired consistency. Amount of stock will depend on the size of your squash and your preference of consistency.