Wednesday is Pasta Day: Farfalla with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash

There used to be a commercial on TV when I was younger. "Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day!" it proclaimed. I'm not sure why that was, but it seems like in our house, Wednesdays are still carb day. It's either pizza or pasta or something of the sort. Sort, I guess is the optimal word, as we almost never do a simple pasta with sauce or plain cheese pizza. There has to be something to give the meal a special character, and you just can't beat the early Fall harvest for color and character. 

Brussels sprouts feature prominently on our table during their season. Our favorite way to prepare them is to roast them in the oven simply, with just a little extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt. Squash, especially butternut squash, also loves the high heat of the oven, where the sugars -caramelized delicately - play beautifully off the nuttiness of top notch oil and the kosher salt.

This dish takes us out of the oven and into a deep skillet for our roasting, where the high sides help keep moisture and flavor in, speeding up the cooking process a bit, while allowing the disparate flavors of golden garlic, sweet squash and earthy Brussels sprouts to melt into a deliciously subtle coating for any curled and curved pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. butter (optional)
• 1 Tbs kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 cups of acorn or butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb farfalla or campanelle pasta

Directions:

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add 1 Tbs oil and 1 Tbs kosher salt.
2. In a large skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat until fragrant. Set aside. 
3. In the same skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly until fragrant and golden brown. Remove the garlic from the pan, leaving the oil in the pan.
4. Add the sprouts in a single layer, cut side down and cook for about 4 minutes, until the cut sides begin to brown. 
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
6. To the frying pan, add the squash, salt, pepper and thyme and 1 Tbs oil. Toss. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the sprouts are tender and browned evenly. 
7. Add the wine and stir. Allow the wine to reduce a bit, by simmering for 5 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Turn off the heat.
8. Drain pasta, reserving a cup of liquid.
9. To the squash add the remaining olive oil, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, vinegar, pine nuts and cooked pasta. Stir to coat well. Add a bit of liquid if it seems dry.
10. Serve with more Parmesan cheese for garnish.