Butternut Squash Malfatti with Crispy Pumpkin Seeds

ByLaura Monroe

Makes 12 servings

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

  • 5 lb butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus as needed to adjust seasoning
  • 1 lb 4 oz diced Spanish onions (about 4 1/2 cups)
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced (about 8 teaspoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 6 oz grated Gruyère or Manchego (1 1/2 packed cups)
  • 4 oz mascarpone (1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons sage chiffonade
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus as needed to adjust seasoning
  • 1 lb Pasta Dough, cut into malfatti, or 2-in dough strips cut into rough trapezoids or squares, or dry semolina wide noodles

Garnish

  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seed oil
  • 1/2 cup toasted pepitas
  • 1/3 cup shaved Pecorino Romano

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

  1. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat it to 375°F/191°C. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and rough pulp. Coat the flesh with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and place cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Scoop the flesh out of the squash, discarding the skin.
  2. Warm large sauté pan over medium-high heat, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and warm to hot but not smoking, about 10 seconds. Add the onions and 1 tsp of the salt. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, tossing occasionally, until soft and jammy, about 30 minutes. If there is not enough liquid released from the vegetables to cook for this length of time without burning, add 2 tablespoons water and cook until the liquid evaporates. Move the onions to one side of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves to the empty space and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then combine with the onions. Add the vinegar, toss together, and cook until the vinegar evaporates, about 10 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Add the squash and combine.
  3. Fold the Gruyère, mascarpone, Pecorino Romano, parsley, sage, and black pepper into the squash. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve half of the seasoned squash in a bowl.
  4. Bring large pot filled three-quarters with cold water to a boil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Add half of the pasta and gently stir, making sure the pasta does not stick. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 30 seconds if using fresh pasta or 1 minute less than the recommended time on the package if using dried pasta. Lift the pasta out of the water with a skimmer and put into the sauté pan with the squash. Raise the heat to medium, being careful the bottom does not scorch. Add 1 1/2 cups pasta water, fold together, and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour into a large shallow serving bowl.
  5. Repeat with the remaining pasta, squash mixture, and 1 1/2 cups pasta water. Fold the batches together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with the pumpkin seed oil, pepitas, and Pecorino Romano curls.

[/directions]

Note: This recipe was originally printed in Modern Buffet Presentation (2015, Wiley) by authors Carol Murphy Clyne and Vincent Clyne.

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