Pasta With Butternut Squash, Sage, And Pine Nuts

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 8, 2023

As I write this, the branches outside are swirling, restless, dry leaves rustling together furiously. And then they stop. It’s kind of eerie. The whole day has been strange. We went to the supermarket in the morning to pick up emergency supplies, only to find that the entire neighborhood had turned out with the same idea. Lines curved haphazardly around the front of the store and the people working the cash registers were hustling like I’ve never seen them hustle before.

This Hurricane Sandy business is serious stuff. To be honest, since I don’t keep up with the news at all (like at all. I just found out on Wednesday that the Giants had made it to the World Series—and were playing their first game that night!), I had no idea that the forecasted stretch of rain I’d noticed on my weather app was going to turn into anything serious. And then the entire world, all at once, started flinging the fact in my face.

I decided to make pasta with a butternut squash that had been sitting around for a few weeks. With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having, it hadn’t quite felt like the right time to crack it open. But I figure, if we’re about to be blown to Oz, I might as well have something hearty prepared.

And so, in the eerie light of an afternoon going on night, I photographed the dish. You might not be able to tell, but the light is all askew. It’s dim and oblique, uncooperative. It’s alright though. The city’s about to go into lockdown!

Let’s call this Eye of the Storm rigatoni, an oasis in the form of baked butternut squash, toasted pine nuts, velvety sage, and heaps of freshly-shaven parmesan. It even gets a quick toss in a cast-iron so that the pasta crisps, and the squash chars. Is healthy comfort food an oxymoron?

PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAGE, AND PINE NUTS

Adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds
1 small onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
Enough rigatoni for 4 people (about 12 oz.)
1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Freshly-grated parmesan

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut, peel, and seed the squash, then cut it into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and toss with the squash. Spread the mixture evenly on a large baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, or until squash is soft. Rotate the pan halfway through.

About halfway through baking, make the pasta. Once it’s ready, drain thoroughly and set aside.

A few minutes before taking the squash out of the oven, heat a couple Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, lay in the sage leaves and heat them until they become crisp, about a minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon, lightly salt them, and crush them.

Once the squash is ready, pour the pasta and squash mixture into the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until the pasta begins to crisp. Stir in the crumbled sage and pine nuts. Serve with parmesan on the side.

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Hot Chocolate Fudge

Recipes

Christiana George

Updated Date:
December 18, 2022

With all the cold weather we have been having lately, a nice, hot chocolate feels so warm and inviting. Now this fudge may not be all warm and cozy, but the flavor is definitely inviting. It is has a smooth, creamy texture and is filled with Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits, and chunks of 3 Musketeer Minis with Hot Cocoa/Marshmallow Filling. You can now eat your hot chocolate while sitting by the fire.

Now I am not usually a fan of milk chocolate. I am a dark chocolate lover, but for Ghirardelli I will make an exception. I wanted a chocolate that wouldn’t over power the taste of the 3 Musketeers.

I had found these Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers at Walmart while shopping for Christmas decorations. I just opened the bag recently. I am amazed they lasted that long. These are even better then the regular 3 Musketeers.

Mmm…just look at all that lovely chocolate. Don’t worry there will be plenty of 3 Musketeer bars left after you make this recipe.

These Mallow Bits are just the cutest things. I remember making the Swiss Miss hot chocolate with these little marshmallows in them and always thinking they never put enough in the packet. Now I can pour a whole tube of them into my hot chocolate.

This fudge recipe is so easy. It just requires a lot of will power to resist eating it just like this.

I had to add more Mallow Bits to the top. I couldn’t help it. I am such a kid. And it looks cooler.

This Hot Chocolate Fudge came out so good. It’s really creamy and the chunks of 3 Musketeers are soft so the texture of the fudge is consistent. And the Mallow Bits which are usually crunchy, absorbed the moisture from being in the fridge and became chewy like regular marshmallows, so it was perfect. It tastes just like hot chocolate. Your kids are going to love this.

Hot Chocolate Fudge

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords: stove top no bake dessert milk chocolate 3 Musketeer Minis Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits fudge American winter

Ingredients (64 squares)

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 bag ( 11.5 oz.) Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
34 mini 3 Musketeer bars (Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow flavor)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits

Instructions

Chop the 3 Musketeers into smaller pieces. I chopped mine into 6 pieces each.

In medium saucepan over low heat, combine the condensed milk, the chocolate chips, and half of the chopped 3 Musketeers.

Heat and stir until all chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is almost smooth (the chocolate chips will be melted, but the marshmallow centers of the 3 Musketeers may not completely dissolve).

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, the other half of the chopped 3 Musketeers, and 1/2 cup of the Mallow Bits until completely combined.

Then spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment paper lined 8″ x 8″ pan or glass dish. Sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of Mallow Bits.

Place the container in the fridge and chill until set (about 2 hours).

Remove from fridge and gently lift the parchment paper to remove the fudge from the pan ( you may need to leave it out for a few minutes before removing). Slice and serve.

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