It’s honeynut squash season! Mike and I went to the farmer’s market the other day and there was a perfect little basket of the tiniest honeynut squash. I absolutely love honeynuts so of course I squealed and went about picking out the cutest most tiniest ones. If you’re not familiar with honeynut squash, they’re like tiny butternut squashes, with the same shape. They were created to be a tiny, tasty squash and they are. They’re sweeter and when cooked, take on a caramel almost malty flavor. They’re super tender and cook very quickly because they’re so small.
A fall inspired pasta
After roasting a couple and eating them as isI thought it would be nice to make a fall inspired pasta. I cut the squash up in a thick matchstick then pan-roasted them in a generous amount of olive oil. They got blistered and caramelized and so good. From there, I made a simple cream sauce then tossed in some greens and pasta. So cozy and perfect scooped up into a bowl!
Why you should make a squash pasta:
- You love fall and you want to get cozy with a big bowl of pasta and squash
- You want to feed someone vegetarian food and you want it to taste good
- Honeynut squash gets you excited
- You want a hearty pasta that’s also just a little bit heathy
- You love garlic cream sauce
Frequently asked questions
Q: I can’t find honeynut squash at the store, what can I use instead?
A: Any squash will work for this – try butternut or kabocha. Just make sure you cut it smaller so that it cooks just as quickly in the pan.
Q: Why does the pasta look pink?
A: I had no idea that swiss chard would make the cream sauce so pink! Next time I would definitely stick to kale or something.
Q: What is the pasta shape called?
A: It’s one of my all time favorite pasta shapes called calamarata! They’re supposed to look like calamari rings and I love them so much.
Q: Why are you pretending that people ask you these questions?
A: I like to amuse myself and for some reason I find this format hilarious >_<
Happy honeynutting!
(that sounds wrong LOL)
xoxo steph
PS – If you love honeynut squash as much as I do, try this honeynut squash with honeyed walnuts I made last year!
Pan-Roasted Honeynut Squash with Creamy Garlicky Pasta
Ingredients
- 1-2 small honeynut squash cut into thick matchsticks
- 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 ounces dried pasta of choice
- 1 1/2 cups leafy greens chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
Instructions
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Heat up the oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the honeynut cubes in a single layer and sear, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until fork-tender, about 5-6 minutes, stirring as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of al dente in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 3/4 cups water and drain.
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When the squash is done cooking, scoop the squash out of the pan and set aside. Add the cream and garlic to the same pan over medium heat and simmer until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes.
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Add the pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and bring to a boil, cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
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Stir in the greens until wilted, then turn the heat down and stir in the cheese until melted.
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Add the honeynut squash, season with salt and pepper and enjoy immediately!
