Chef notes
This flavorful fall pasta salad incorporates two of my favorite autumn ingredients: butternut squash and pumpkin seeds. The earthy, sweet squash adds richness to the dish while the bright pesto keeps it light and flavorful. It's the perfect dish to start the season.
Technique tip: With the pesto you can add more of any ingredient you want, some people like more garlic, or cheese, oil, etc. so don't be afraid to adjust to your liking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup tightly packed parsley
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1-2 cups olive oil
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 head radicchio, cut into pieces
- 1 box bowtie pasta
- grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Preparation
For the pesto:
To a blender, add pumpkin seeds, parsley, basil, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil until you reach your desired pesto consistency. Set aside.
For the pasta:
1.Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2.On a medium sheet pan, dress the squash with the neutral oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes, until the squash is nice and roasted, making sure to toss the squash 15 minutes in to help evenly brown.
3.In a small sauté pan, add butter and radicchio and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes
4.In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a bowl, add the pasta and cook following the directions on the box. And drain.
To assemble:
In a bowl, add the pasta, squash, radicchio and enough pesto to coat everything. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, serve with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
