Sep 17, 2024

RECIPE I Autumn pasta with butternut squash and chicken

Ingredients (for 4 persons)

400 g pasta of your choice (I like to choose a thicker pasta that the sauce sticks to better, such as linguine or tagliatelle)
1 small butternut squash (or 400 g frozen pumpkin cubes)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200 ml cream (or vegetable cream for a vegan option)
50 g Parmesan cheese (or a vegan alternative)
1 sprig fresh thyme
5 fresh sage leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: a handful of spinach, walnuts or toasted pumpkin seeds for extra crunch
4 Chicken thighs (boneless)

Prepare the pumpkin : Peel and dice the pumpkin (or use ready-made pumpkin cubes). Cook the cubes in a pan with water for about 10-12 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.
Chicken thighs : Cut the chicken thighs into cubes, season with salt and pepper and fry until done in a large frying pan. When done, remove the chicken cubes from the pan and use the same pan to make your vegetables and sauce.
Cook the pasta : Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, min 1 minute. Drain and reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Sauté the onion and garlic : Heat some olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Make the sauce : Add the cooked pumpkin cubes to the pan with the onion and garlic. Add the cooking cream, thyme and sage and mix everything well. Puree with a hand blender until you have a smooth sauce. If necessary, add some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce.
Mix everything : Add the (almost) cooked pasta to the sauce, together with the chicken cubes and let the pasta cook in the sauce for another minute, this way you get a thicker sauce and the pasta already absorbs a lot of the flavor of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan cheese, do not let it boil anymore once the cheese has been added!!!
Serve : Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese, spinach, walnuts or pumpkin seeds for a crunchy bite.