At this time of year, guests seek out warm, hearty meals to combat the chill. Butternut squash is a quintessential winter vegetable, typically harvested in the fall and available throughout the winter months. Its sweet, nutty flavour and rich texture complement the colder weather, providing a comforting and hearty meal. The natural sweetness of the butternut squash pairs beautifully with savoury ingredients like sage, garlic, or parmesan cheese. Rigatoni’s thick, ridged shape is perfect for holding onto the velvety sauce made from roasted butternut squash, creating a satisfying and filling dish.
Recipe courtesy of 1 Kitchen Toronto.
ingredients
Confit Garlic
directions
For the confit garlic:
In a saucepan on low heat, add 15 cloves of garlic and 2 cups of canola oil and cook for 30 minutes or until the garlic golden brown and soft.
Cool the garlic at room temperature and then strain the oil. Keep the garlic in a container and store in the fridge. Keep the oil.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash on top. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of garlic oil on top and season the squash with a pinch of salt. Roast the squash in the oven for 45 minutes or until the squash is golden brown and soft. Allow to cool completely.
Remove the skin and place the squash into a separate pot. Add the water, ½ cup of whipping cream, butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture is hot, transfer into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Transfer into a bowl and cool completely. Once completely cooled, place it in the fridge until ready to use.
In a small pot, add 1 cup of butter and cook it on medium low heat for 10 minutes, or until the butter is a nice golden brown and smells nutty. Save the butter at room temperature in the same pot for the breadcrumbs and for the hazelnuts.
Cut the sourdough into 2-inch cubes and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the sourdough until golden brown and hard. If they aren’t hard, they will not blend properly, and you will have soft chunks of bread.
Once the bread is hard, cool completely and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the hazelnuts. Bake the hazelnuts at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the hazelnuts are nicely toasted and golden.
In a food processor, add the bread and pulse until you reach a breadcrumb consistency. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs and ½ cup of the brown butter. Mix both together until fully combined and set aside.
In a clean food processor, add the hazelnuts and pulse until chunky or desired consistency. In a separate bowl, add the hazelnuts and the other ½ cup of brown butter. Mix until fully combined and set aside.
In a clean food processor add the ricotta and the other ½ cup of whipping cream and pulse until nice and airy (about 1 minute). Transfer into a bowl and set aside in the fridge.
Finely chop the safe and set aside in the fridge.
In a large pot, add 8 liters of water and ¼ cup of salt. Bring to a boil and add the rigatoni pasta. Follow the directions on the packaging or until desired cook on the pasta. Carefully strain the pasta and add it back into the pot while keeping 1 cup of the pasta water.
Once the pasta is back into the pot, add the squash puree, 1 cup of pasta water, 1 cup of parmesan cheese and mix until fully combined. Divide the pasta into 4 separate bowls. Top with the brown butter breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, a generous scoop of ricotta cheese and sage. Finally, finish with olive oil and enjoy.