Italian · main

Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash

Name: Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash
Prep time: 47 min
Total time: 47 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: butternut squash — 907 g; olive oil — 41 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; shell pasta — 340 g; unsalted butter — 82 g; sage leaf — 20 g; garlic — 9 g; red chili flakes — 1 g; bean cooking liquid — 237 g; parmesan cheese — 114 g; walnut — 118 g; lemon juice — 15 g

Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash reads richness 5.9, umami 5.6 and sweetness 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 47 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.9 · Umami 5.6 · Sweetness 5.6 · Citrus 4.8 · Nutty 4.6 · Salinity 4.6 · Sourness 4.5 · Allium 3.4 · Earthy 2.9 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Bitterness 2.0 · Fruity 1.6 · Heat 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Floral 1.0

What's in it (13)

butternut squash — 907 g
olive oil — 41 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
shell pasta — 340 g
unsalted butter — 82 g
sage leaf — 20 g
garlic — 9 g
red chili flakes — 1 g
bean cooking liquid — 237 g
parmesan cheese — 114 g
walnut — 118 g
lemon juice — 15 g

Time & effort: about 47 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 165.1 kcal, 5.9 g protein, 10.2 g fat, 21.9 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Preheat oven to 425F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
Roast the squash until tender and caramelized at the edges, 25-28 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the foaming subsides, add a few whole sage leaves and swirl the pan until the butter turns deep golden brown and smells nutty and the sage leaves are crisp, 3-4 minutes -- watch closely, as it can burn in the last 30 seconds.
Use a slotted spoon to lift the crisped sage leaves onto a paper-towel-lined plate; leave the brown butter in the skillet.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the chopped sage, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the skillet; cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant, 30-45 seconds.
Add the roasted squash and drained pasta to the skillet. Toss over medium heat, adding the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, until a glossy sauce coats the noodles, about 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice, tossing until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce; season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste.
Divide the pasta among bowls; top with the toasted walnuts and crisped sage leaves, and finish with more Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Roasted Green Beans With Greek Dressing — Greek
Vegetable Massaman Curry with Tofu — Thai
Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas — Thai
Hummus Bowls with Crispy Chickpeas and Veggies — Middle Eastern
Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Grain Bowl — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what richness, umami, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.