Pasta with Butternut Pumpkin & Sage Butter

Sage is a culinary as well as medicinal herb with greyish green, velvety leaves and a strong earthy, slightly peppery flavour.   Fried gently in butter, they make a nutty, aromatic brown sauce perfect for this pasta dish paired with delicately sweet bites of butternut pumpkin.  I use cute little ear-shaped orecchiette, but any short pasta matching the size of your pumpkin cubes is good for them to nestle together.  A generous sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese on top completes the flavour profile.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 180g / 6⅓oz dry orecchiette pasta (or any short pasta)
• ½ butternut pumpkin, about 750g / 1lb 10oz
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 French shallot, finely chopped
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil with a good pinch of salt.  Add orecchiette and cook according to package directions until they are al dente (tender but firm with a little bite). Drain the pasta in a colander and retain ¼ cup of the cooking water. 
2. Peel off the skin of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.  Cut into 1cm / ½" cubes.  In a bowl, coat cubes with 1 tablespoon oil.  Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Spread pumpkin cubes on a lined baking tray.  Roast in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soften and the edges begin to brown.  Remove from oven and set aside.
4. In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add shallot and sauté for 1-2 minutes until a sauce nut brown in colour begin to form.  Add sage and sauté for a further minute until aromatic.  Add the roasted pumpkin.  Mix to combine with sauce.  Stir in the lemon juice.
5. Add the pasta to the pan together with the reserved cooking water.  Toss to combine with the pumpkin and sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in most of the parmesan cheese.
6. Just before serving at the table, sprinkle pasta with the remaining parmesan cheese and  drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.