Pumpkin Fettuccine Tossed in a Sage Butter Sauce

Pumpkin Fettuccine

Pumpkin Pasta Dough ( 2 lbs.)

Ingredients:

•  Pumpkin puree – 2/3 cup ( cooked and pureed pumpkin or squash of your liking.  Or, can substitute canned pumpkin puree

• Eggs – 4 (large)

•  Flour – 4 1/2 cups – “00” or all-purpose

• Semolina – 4 tablespoons

• Salt – 1 teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt

• Nutmeg – 1/4 teaspoon (optional)

• Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon ( optional)

Pumpkin Pasta Dough

Procedure:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk the pumpkin, eggs and spices together.

• Put  4 cups  flour, the semolina flour and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Attach the dough hook to combine the ingredients.

• Add the pumpkin-egg mixture and  briefly mix on medium speed to obtain a crumbly mixture.  Scrape down bowl and mix again for 5-8 minutes to obtain a dough ball.

• Now turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut the dough in fourths.  Knead until each dough ball  is soft and pliable.

• If the mixture seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil and mix in . If it seems too sticky, add some additional flour very sparingly and work in a little at a time.

• Wrap the dough ball with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to rolling.

To make the Fettuccine:

• Once the dough has lost its “chill” you may proceed in stretching it.

 Flatten a ball of dough with you hands or rolling-pin. 

 Then feed it through the widest setting on a pasta machine to begin the rolling and stretching process.You are aiming for a perfect rectangle. 

 After each pass sprinkle the dough with a little flower and to prevent sickness.

Pumpkin Pasta Sheet

 Typically, you want to stretch the dough to a number 6 on a pasta maker.  Or, until you can begin to see your hand through the dough.

• Once at this stage cut sections of the stretched dough into 7-8 inch pieces.
• Place on your work surface and lightly flour and cover with a kitchen towel.
• Repeat process with the rest of the dough.
• Attach your fettuccine cutter and begin to cut the pasta.  Lightly dust the pasta strands with a mixture of flour and fine semolina
• Allow pasta to slightly dry on a pasta rack or shaped into little nests on your work surface.
• Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

To cook the pumpkin or squash:

• Cut a small dice of your favorite pumpkin and/or squash.  Sauté  off quickly in a little butter to lightly color the pieces.
• Reserve the dice until ready to assemble the dish.

To make the sage butter sauce: ( this sauce should be made simultaneously while the pasta is cooking)

Sage Butter Sauce

Use a stick of butter, 4 fresh sage leaves and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese  for 2 people.

Add the pasta  to rapidly boiling salted water and stir through ( pasta will take no more that 3-4 min to cook)

Place a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta  over a medium flame.

•  Add the butter, sage, pumpkin dice and increase the heat to medium-high. (reserve some pumpkin for garnishing the dish)

• As the butter begins to melt and froth… swirl the pan to insure that the butter melts evenly.
• At this point you need to move fast!

Reserve about a cup up pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Quickly add the pasta to the sauce and then add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water along with 1-2 tablespoons of the  Parmesan. Toss vigorously over the heat to create an emulsion sauce with the butter, pasta water and cheese.

Remove the sage leaves and taste for seasoning.  If needed, add some salt and white pepper to taste.  Toss through.

The pasta should be totally coated in a creamy sauce at this point and the pasta should move easily in the pan.  

If not, the sauce is too thick; loosen the pasta with a little more of the reserved pasta water.

Tip: Serve immediately  garnished with the reserved pumpkin dice, fresh sage leaves and topped with a little Parmesan or Ricotta Salata.  Delicious!