Thinking Outside the Noodle – Sage Fettuccine with Butternut Squash and Pears in Gorgonzola Sauce – Part 2 of 3

What goes great with fresh sage fettuccine?  I love the flavor combination of sage, Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and pears.  This recipe is what I came up with to incorporate all those flavors with sage pasta and I loved it!  Pomegranates are another love of mine and sprinkled on top … I was in pasta heaven.  ENJOY!

Sage Fettuccine with Butternut Squash and Pears in Gorgonzola Sauce

A Pasta Princess Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Fresh Sage Fettuccine
• 5 Slices thick bacon
• 1/4 diced onion
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped sage
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 3 cups cubed Butternut Squash
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pears
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• Pomegranate (Optional)

Directions:

Cook bacon in large fry pan until crisp.  Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease

Add onion and sage to the bacon grease.  Over medium heat cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.

Add butternut squash and pears to pan and stir to coat.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat water to boiling for pasta.

Add fresh pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 5 minutes.  Drain pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Add spinach to pan with squash and pears.  Add Gorgonzola and Parmesan Cheese and reserved 1 cup of pasta water.  Stir to combine and cook until cheese is melted.  Add pasta and stir to coat.  Plate and top with pomegranate.

Serve and enjoy!

Coming next:  Thinking Outside the Noodle – Part 3 of 3 – Sage Pasta Ravioli with Butternut Squash Filling

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Bow Ties – Orange Colored Pasta – Part III

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Bow Ties – Orange Colored Pasta – Part III

This concludes my 3 part series of pasta 3 ways, 3 different shapes, 3 different vegetables.  It is my hope that I have inspired you to create your own pasta.  Once you have savored homemade pasta … there is no turning back.  Is it worth the effort and time … YES …absolutely, positively YES YES YES!!!  Enjoy and experience pasta at its finest!

Pasta Dough – Orange Color

• 2-1/4 Cups Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 cup carrots, cooked and finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3-4 Tablespoons Water (as needed)
• Dash of Salt

Directions:

Put eggs and carrots together in food processor and pulse to combine. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

Add to the middle well of flour the eggs and carrot mixture, olive oil, and water.  Add flour or extra water to dough as needed – consistency should not be sticky. With beater attachment, beat on low for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and mix for 6 minutes. Take dough and cover in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 10 minutes.

Split dough in half and roll each half into desired thickness.  Using a pastry wheel, cut into sections of 2-1/2″ x 1 inch squares.  Place your index finger in the middle of the square and then bring the top and bottom to meet your finger, and press to seal the middle, making your bow!  That’s all there is to it.  Once you do a few it goes quickly.  If not using right away, place on a cookie sheet until frozen, then place in a zip lock freezer bag.  To cook, take directly from the freezer into boiling salted water, boil for approximately 4-5 minutes or until pasta floats to the top.

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Fettuccine – Green Colored Pasta – Part II

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Fettuccine – Green Colored Pasta – Part II

 Pasta Dough – Green Color

• 2-1/4 Cups Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 Heaping cooked fresh spinach (all water drained)*
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-2 Tablespoons Water (as needed)
• Dash of Salt

*  Spinach will add more liquid to the dough, so add water accordingly.

Directions:

Put eggs and cooked spinach together in food processor and pulse to combine. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

Add to the middle well of flour the eggs and spinach mixture, olive oil, and water.  Add flour or extra water to dough as needed – consistency should not be sticky. With beater attachment, beat on low for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and mix for 6 minutes. Take dough and cover in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 10 minutes.

Tip:

Once you have rolled your pasta sheets, let them dry out a little before putting them through the cutter so that they won’t get stuck.  If not eating the fettuccine the same day, simply toss with a little bit of flour and make into “nests”, put on cookies trays and freeze.  Then store in zip lock freezer bags. 

Coming Next:  Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Farfalle (Bowties) – Orange Colored Pasta – Part III

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Part I – Magenta Colored Pasta – Ravioli

Part I of a 3 Part Pasta series.  I spent a good part of the day Saturday creating some eye-catching, taste tantalizing pasta that I’d love to share with you.  I made pasta 3 ways ~~ 3 different shapes, 3 different colors, 3 different vegetables!  Travel along and have some fun!

Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Magenta Colored Pasta – Ravioli Part I

Pasta Dough – Magenta Color

• 2-1/4 Cups Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 Heaping Cup Beets, finely chopped*
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-2 Tablespoons Water (as needed)
• Dash of Salt

*Preheat over to 425 degrees, wrap red beets in foil, and roast until tender approximately 45 minutes, depending on size.  Let cool then chop fine in a food processor.  Beets will add more liquid to the dough, so add water accordingly.

NOTE:  You can make pasta without a pasta maker, but in all honesty, if I had to roll and cut all that dough by hand I wouldn’t be making pasta!    I have a Kitchenaid Mixer and also purchased the pasta attachments.  It wasn’t until a year ago, that I finally bought a Kitchenaid Mixer.  It was one of those things that I thought I didn’t need and could make do with the inexpensive mixer I had for 15 years  and I did make do.  But let me tell you … I wish I had purchased it years ago ~ if only I knew then what I knew now!  The Kitchenaid is a workhorse!!  It has made my life so much easier and is so worth the money if you do a lot of baking and pasta making.  No, this blog isn’t endorsed by Kitchenaid, just trying to pass on what I wish I had known years ago.

Directions:

Put eggs and beets together in food processor and pulse to combine. Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

Add to the middle well of flour the eggs and beet mixture, olive oil, and water.  Add flour or extra water to dough as needed – consistency should not be sticky. With beater attachment, beat on low for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and mix for 6 minutes. Take dough and cover in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 10 minutes.

After all my pasta dough was made I then put all the dough through a pasta roller.  This recipe is for 1 lb. of pasta so I split it in half, and rolled one half at a time.  I did the same for all 4 lbs of dough.  One in magenta, green, orange and plain.  I covered each sheet with plastic wrap so it wouldn’t dry out while I was rolling the rest of the dough.

Making the Criss-cross Design

I took a sheet each of the magenta, green and orange and put each one through the spaghetti cutter.  I then took the plain colored sheet of pasta and laid it out on the counter. I placed the colored spaghetti alternating on top of the plain sheet of pasta and repeated crosswise.  I pressed the spaghetti to the plain sheet with my fingers and then lifted the sheet carefully and put it through the pasta press.  It is then ready to make ravioli.  Make sure to put the patterned side face down, facing the counter, in your ravioli press.  Fill your ravioli with desired filling, lay a sheet on top, roll with a rolling-pin to ease out any air pockets.  Flip it over and admire your handiwork!

Tip:  When using a ravioli press always be sure to spray it with cooking spray each time so that the ravioli pop out easily.

If you won’t be eating the ravioli right away simply put them on a cookie tray, pop them into the freezer and then store in a zip lock freezer bag.  When you are ready to indulge in a sumptuous treat, boil some water, place the frozen ravioli gently in the boiling water and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes until they rise to the top! Enjoy!

Coming next … Homemade Pasta 3 Ways – Green Colored Pasta – Fettuccine