Growing up at home we ate A LOT of pasta. Pasta in casseroles, good ole fashion spaghetti, pasta salads at bbq’s, you name it and my mom could find a way to put pasta in it! Her side of the family is Italian, so pasta is pretty much in her blood. I definitely took the pasta gene and love to pass it around at parties and get together’s with my friends. I have found over our many dinner parties that pasta is usually a great foundation for dinner. Everyone pretty much likes pasta (it’s a great safe dish!) and you can literally do thousands of things to it! If that’s not a dinner party staple then I don’t know what is!
Pasta is one of those dishes that makes everyone feel cozy together around the table. Lately, I have been taking some of my favorite classic dinner party dishes and giving them a fall makeover! Flavors like butternut squash and pumpkin are being used quite a bit in our house! Luckily they are food groups that make you feel good and taste delicious!
This pasta today was made with the best-refrigerated fettuccine out there! I love using Giovanni Rana fettuccine because they have the same quality as fresh pasta but take only two minutes to cook! They are literally so easy, your boyfriend could cook you dinner! I don’t know about you but Jared really struggles in the kitchen, especially helping me with dinner parties! Not only does he love the simplicity of Rana pasta, he also loves the taste!
We boiled off some fettuccine noodles and topped them off with a rich and creamy butternut squash sauce. This pasta today was made with the best-refrigerated pasta out there! I love using Giovanni Rana Fettuccine because they have good quality ingredients and only take only two minutes to cook! The sauce comes together with a few simple ingredients and tastes so decadent! All you need is a sheet pan and a blender! If you’re in need of a few great fall dinner party recipes, look no further! This pasta will give you and your guests all the cozy feels!
Fall Dinner Menu: Butternut Squash & Pancetta Pasta
ingredients
- 4 Cups of cubed and peeled butternut squash
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of minced rosemary
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- ½ Pound of pancetta sliced or cubed
- 1 9 oz pack of Giovanni Rana fettuccine pasta noodles
- 6 Sage leaves
- ½ Cup of heavy cream
- 1 Cup of shredded parmesan cheese
instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl put in peeled and diced butternut squash, olive oil, a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and minced rosemary. Toss until combined. Spread butternut squash evenly onto large cooking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the squash is golden.
- In a small fry pan add in pancetta slices or cubes. Cook on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes or until crispy. Reserve the pancetta oil and drop sage leaves into hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minues or until the sage leaves are golden and crispy. Place pancetta and sage leaves onto a paper towel lined plate until the pasta is ready to serve.
- Once squash has finished cooking, begin to boil noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop noodles in for (2) minutes and then remove.
- In a large blender (I use a vitamix) add in roasted butternut squash, heavy cream, and 1-1 ½ cups of pasta water to the vitamix. Blend for 20-30 seconds or until very smooth and the consistency of marinara sauce. If sauce is too thick, continue to add in pasta water to thin it out. Taste test to see if salt and pepper levels are strong enough or to your liking.
- Toss warm noodles with sauce and top off pasta with crispy pancetta and sage leaves. Sprinkle an even layer of parmesan cheese on top of pasta.
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