Brown Butter Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta

This cozy pasta is everything you want on a chilly evening — sweet roasted butternut squash melts into a silky brown butter sauce flecked with crispy sage leaves. It comes together in under an hour with simple pantry staples and feels genuinely special without any fuss. A generous shower of Parmesan ties it all together into one of those meals you'll want on repeat all fall and winter.

✨ An original recipe written by AI — not kitchen-tested, so trust your taste on seasoning & timing.

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F for 22–25 minutes, flipping once, until golden and tender.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
3. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it smells nutty and turns golden brown, about 3–4 minutes.
4. Add sage leaves to the brown butter and fry 30–45 seconds until crisp. Remove sage and set aside on a paper towel, leaving the butter in the pan.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
6. Add roasted squash and drained pasta to the skillet. Pour in pasta water a splash at a time, tossing everything together until a light glossy sauce coats the noodles.
7. Remove from heat, stir in half the Parmesan, and season to taste. Serve topped with crispy sage leaves and the remaining Parmesan.

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