Farfalle with Pumpkin Sauce
October 25, 2004
We are huge fans of winter squashes- acorn,
butternut, turban, spaghetti, etc. Often overlooked as just a
decoration, fresh pumpkin has a wonderfully smooth, rich texture. Here is
a relatively easy version of the ever-popular "Butternut Squash Ravioli with
Brown Butter and Sage", instead using pumpkin as a sauce (not a filling),
clarified butter, and bowtie pasta.
1 3lb. fresh pumpkin
1/2 lb. Farfalle
6 fresh sage leaves, finely minced
salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter,
clarified*
6 tablespoons roasted salted pumpkin
seeds
Cut pumpkin in half. Scrape out seeds and
stringy pulp and reserve. Put reserved seeds and pulp in the bottom
of a large pot fitted with a steaming basket along with water to cover.
Place pumpkin halves on top of steamer, skin side up. Steam pumpkin
over medium high heat until soft when pierced with a fork, about 25
minutes. Do not discard steaming liquid; strain and reserve.
When cool enough to handle, scoop pumpkin flesh out of the skin.
Process the cooked pumpkin in a food processor fitted with a metal
blade along with some of the reserved steaming liquid to make a smooth,
silken sauce. Add the minced sage, and salt to taste. Keep sauce
warm, or reheat just before dressing the pasta.
Cook the pasta according to package directions,
reserving a bit of the pasta water to finalize the sauce. Combine the
drained cooked pasta with enough sauce to coat the pasta amply but not too
heavily (you will more than likely have much more sauce than needed to coat the
pasta- reserve for another use). Add a splash or two of reserved pasta
water to adjust texture. Taste and adjust salt.
Plate the pasta into individual warm
bowls. Top each with a drizzle of warm clarified butter and a
generous pinch of the roasted pumpkin seeds.
*For clarified butter: Warm the butter over
low heat (without sizzling) for about 15 minutes. Strain the butter
through a small very fine mesh sieve or a couple of layers of cheesecloth
to filter the liquid from the solids. Reserve liquid and discard
solids.
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, or 3 to 4 as
an entree.
Alternative method:
This is a bit more time consuming, but adds a bit
more depth of flavor and textural interest-
Cut pumpkin into thirds instead of halves.
Steam two thirds according to the directions above. For the remaining
third, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel remaining raw pumpkin and
cut into uniform fine dice. Toss with olive oil to coat. Spread
in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and toss
pumpkin; return to oven for 10 more minutes. The pumpkin pieces should be
nicely caramelized; if not, stir once again and give them a bit more time in the
oven until golden. Add roasted pumpkin to sauce and proceed as
directed.
Wine
Suggestions-
Stay away from Chardonnay
awashed in oak or soft in lactic acid. In other words, you already have
your "buttery" component in the dish; there is no need to burden the palate with
more of the same! Instead, if you need to go the Chardonnay
route, look for a unoaked (tank fermented) version, with partial
to sans secondary malolactic fermentation....A Chardonnay with crisp apple
and pear fruitiness and cleansing acidity that won't over power the subtly
of the squash. The 2002 Il Cuore Chardonnay ($10.95- discounts
to $9.31) from Mendocino is the perfect pairing with 15% Viognier blended
for additional Autumn spice charm. Another excellent choice would
be the 2003 Bergstrom Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley in Oregon ($23.95-
discounts to $20.36).
Renee
Kroeger
The Wine
Consultant
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