Had some left over butternut squash from Thanksgiving so I made a bechamel sauce with it and made pasta for the first time ever. I know, what kind of Sicilian am I? I am very happy with the outcome though. For this recipe I’ll include the pasta recipe and sauce.

Butternut Squash Bechamel:                                                              Yields: 1 QT

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1/2 Butternut Squash (Appx. 1 1/2c)
• 1 Small Onion (Fine Julienne)
• 3/4 tsp Paprika
• 2 1/2 C Milk
• Salt TT
• 4 oz. Goat Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Take the squash and core out the seeds, lightly brush with oil, salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and place in oven on a sheet tray for around 45 minutes to an hour until the squash is tender. In a medium sized pot, melt the butter. Cook the onions in the butter just until translucent, you don’t want any color. Add in flour to make a roux. Continue to cook for around 3 minutes. Add in the milk and bring to a simmer continuing to whisk to avoid scorching the bottom of the pan. Peel the roasted squash and place it in the sauce. Continue to simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and using a stick blender blend the sauce until silky smooth. Season with paprika and salt.

Fettuccine Dough:                                                                          Yields: 1 lb

• 230g Bread Flour
• 9 Egg Yolks
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp Water

I am using the egg yolk dough recipe from the book Mastering Pasta. Sift the flour into a pile on the table and make a well. Place the egg yolks in the flour well and gently mix together with your fingers or a fork. Add the water to the mix and then finally the oil. If mix is too dry add a little bit more water, if it is too wet add a dash more of flour. Knead the dough for around 5-8 minutes until it is smooth. Form into a flat ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for around 1 hour or store in fridge until use. After dough has rested separate into 3 pieces and roll out into flat ovals. Lightly dust the pasta with flour and pass through a pasta roller on the widest setting and run the dough through, continue to pass the dough once or twice through each setting continuing to narrow the roller until you get the desired thickness. For the fettuccine I did 1/8″ thick. Finally using the cutter or a knife cut the fettuccine into strips and lightly dust with flour to keep from sticking together. Place pasta in boiling water and cook for around 3-4 minutes until al dente.

To serve pasta toss together with butternut bechamel , goat cheese and finish with freshly chopped parsley.