- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total time
- 60 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 470 kcal
Quick summary
“Wide pappardelle ribbons wrapped in a velvety sauce of roasted kabocha squash, white wine, and crispy sage leaves fried in olive oil. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and nutmeg complete this comforting classic.”
What you need to know
- Roasting the pumpkin in the oven caramelizes the sugars before turning it into the velvety base of the sauce.
- Deglazing with dry white wine balances the natural sweetness of the kabocha squash with sharp acidity.
- The starch-rich pasta cooking water emulsifies the heavy cream and parmesan perfectly.
Ingredients
Main
- grams Pappardelle (or tagliatelle)
- grams Japanese pumpkin (kabocha)
- tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- small bunch Fresh sage
- cloves Garlic
- unit Red onion
- cup Vinho branco seco
- cup Vegetable broth (homemade, if possible)
- cup Fresh cream
- cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- pinch Nutmeg
Instructions
Principal
- Prepare the Roasted Pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 200°C. On a baking sheet, spread the pumpkin cubes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and lightly caramelized. Reserve half of the pumpkin for the sauce and the other half for garnish.
- Cook the Pasta: While the pumpkin roasts, cook the pappardelle in abundant salted boiling water, following the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. This is crucial to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
- Start the Aromatic Sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the chopped red onion until translucent, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and half of the chopped sage. Sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant, without letting the garlic burn. The professional technique is not to overheat the olive oil to maintain the aromas.
- Create the Sauce Base: Pour the dry white wine into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release the flavors. Let the wine evaporate almost completely. Add the vegetable broth and the reserved half of the roasted pumpkin. Mash the pumpkin with a fork so it incorporates into the sauce, creating a creamy texture. Cozinhe por 5 minutos.
- Finish the Cremalheira: Add the fresh heavy cream, the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and the pinch of nutmeg. Stir well until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes homogeneous and creamy. If necessary, add a little of the pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. This is the secret to a velvety sauce.
- Assemble the Dish: Add the drained pappardelle directly into the skillet with the sauce. Incorporate the remaining chopped sage. Mix gently so that all the pasta is coated by the sauce. Serve immediately, decorating with the reserved roasted pumpkin cubes, more grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and some fresh sage leaves. Enjoy!
Chef's tips
- Fry the sage leaves in hot olive oil for just 30 seconds until translucent and dry.
- Mash most of the roasted pumpkin, leaving some cubes whole to decorate the dishes at the end.
- Add the grated cheese and nutmeg with the pan already off the heat to melt without clumping.
Variations
- Add 80 grams of golden and crispy diced bacon or pancetta over the ready-made dough.
- Sprinkle toasted chopped nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds on top to provide crunch.
- Incorporate sliced fresh mushrooms sautéed in the pan along with the red onion sauté.
Substitutions
- Pappardelle pasta can be replaced by tagliatelle, fettuccine, or short pasta like rigatoni.
- Kabocha squash can be replaced with calabaza or butternut squash.
- Fresh heavy cream can be replaced by fresh ricotta cheese beaten with a little milk.
How to store
Conserve em recipiente hermético na geladeira por até 3 dias. Ao reaquecer na frigideira em fogo brando, adicione 3 colheres de sopa de água ou leite para restaurar a fluidez aveludada do molho de abóbora.
Can it be frozen?
We do not recommend freezing the dish with the pasta already cooked, as the pappardelle absorbs the sauce and falls apart when thawing. Only the base puree of roasted pumpkin can be frozen for up to 3 months.
What to serve with
Serve with slices of toasted rustic Italian bread with garlic, bitter leaf salad, or dry white wine.
Frequently asked questions
Why should the sage be fried separately at the beginning?
Raw sage has a fibrous texture and strong astringent flavor. Quick frying in olive oil turns the leaves into crispy and delicate sheets, flavoring the fat that will be used in the sauce sauté.
Can I cook the pumpkin in boiling water instead of roasting it in the oven?
Cooking in water soaks the pulp and dilutes the flavors. Baking at 200°C concentrates the pumpkin sugars, promoting caramelization and a much richer texture for the creamy sauce composition.
How to prevent the parmesan cheese from curdling and forming lumps in the sauce?
Turn off the stove flame before adding the freshly grated cheese. The residual heat of the pan is sufficient to melt the Parmigiano fat homogeneously without denaturing the proteins.
How to get the correct al dente point of wide pappardelle pasta?
Cook in plenty of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. The pasta will finish cooking directly in the skillet along with the hot pumpkin sauce.
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