Another Delicious Autumn Squash Recipe…

I prepared this dish last evening – a delicious way to incorporate the fresh butternut squash currently available in our local markets’ produce sections.  How timely that, yesterday, a friend of mine, whose daughter is a food and travel journalist and author of a blog and two culinary guidebooks to Budapest, had gifted me with a package of Hungarian paprika!

Butternut Squash, Pine Nuts, & Blue Cheese Pappardelle

Ingredients:
1 large 2 ½ to 3 pound butternut squash
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Hungarian paprika
Sea salt
1 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup red wine
½ cup water
2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound pappardelle pasta or wide egg noodles
1 Tbsp. chopped dried sage leaves
5 to 6 oz. crumbled blue cheese

1) Peel the squash, cut in half, remove seeds and pulp and cut into 1 inch cubes

2) Using a large heavy pan (which can hold the pasta later) sauté the chopped onion in the olive oil.

3) Add paprika to the sautéd onion

4) Add butter to pan and stir in squash

5) Add red wine and water. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat – Cook for 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat and lightly season with sea salt to taste and then with the Tablespoon of chopped sage leaves.

6) Heat water in another pan, and cook pasta according to package directions

7) Toast pine nuts in a hot, dry frying pan on the stove top, turning frequently.

8) After pasta is drained, add it to the squash mixture along with the pine nuts and blue cheese crumbles and toss together

Yield: Six 1 ½ cup servings