Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 pound small cupped, tubular, or ridged pasta such as orecchiette, penne, farfalle, or rotini
• 1 ounce grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat until it is just barely beginning to smoke. Add the squash right away, season it with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing now and then, until the pieces are tender and nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and shallots, then keep cooking and stirring often until the butter turns lightly brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute longer. Add the sage and mix it in; it should sizzle and become wonderfully fragrant. Take the skillet off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set it aside.
2. Put the pasta in a medium saucepan and add enough room temperature or hot water to cover it by about 2 inches. Season the water with salt. Place the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil, stirring often. Cook, continuing to stir frequently, until the pasta is not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain the pasta, saving a couple cups of the starchy water.
3. Transfer the pasta to the skillet with the squash and add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Set the skillet over high heat and bring everything to a simmer, stirring and tossing the whole time, until the pasta is perfectly al dente. Add more pasta water in splashes as needed so the sauce stays loose and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper, loosen with additional pasta water if needed, and serve right away with more cheese at the table.