Butternut Squash Fettucini with Fried Sage

Ever since seeing a recipe for butternut squash pasta, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It's the perfect combination of fall vegetables and flavors that will surely warm you up on a cold day. Although the butternut squash is the substitute for all of the cream and cheese in a typical fettuccini alfredo, I promise you, it'll taste just as good with the blend of earthy and aromatic flavors. The pasta is topped with fried sage, a classic herb used in many holiday dishes, that perfumes the pasta to the next level. The recipe is below, enjoy!

Ingredients:

- fettuccini pasta

- 1 medium butternut squash

- 1 medium onion

- 3 cloves garlic

- 1 cup milk

- 1 cup chicken stock ( can be substituted with vegetable sock or water)

- sage leaves (for garnish)

- pinch red chili flakes

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First, dry the sage leaves that there is no moisture and begin to fry them off with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. This is a fairly quick process, so keep an eye on the stove! Remove the leaves from the pan and drain on a paper towel when they start to turn a bright green and are crispy to the touch. Add in a diced onion and minced garlic to the sage-infused oil and begin to sauté. Dice up the butternut squash into fairly small pieces (you will be blending/ mashing them later) and add them to the onion and garlic. Add the red chili flakes, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

Boil the pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Remember to salt your water (as salty as sea water) and stir every so often so that the noodles don't stick to each other or to the pot.

When the squash and onion mixture is soft and fork tender, add in the milk and chicken stock and start to mash the vegetables into the liquid. You can use an immersion blender for this process (which would give you a much smoother sauce), but a potato masher works perfectly fine. When the pasta is finished cooking, add them to the sauce and stir to let all of the flavors combine. Serve it up with the fried sage and enjoy!