Squash Carbonara

Name: Squash Carbonara
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: honey nut squash; guanciale; egg yolks; Pecorino Romano cheese; pasta; black pepper

Serves 1

Serves 1

Directions

1Cut the honey nut squash in half.
2Place the squash halves in a steamer over a pot of boiling water.
3Cover the steamer with a lid.
4Cut the guanciale into small pieces.
5Cook the guanciale in a pan over low heat until crispy, rendering out the fat.
6Remove the crispy guanciale from the pan and place it on a paper towel-lined tray to drain.
7Grate some Pecorino Romano cheese.
8Check if the steamed squash is soft by poking it with a skewer.
9Remove the squash from the steamer and scoop out the seeds.
10Scoop the softened squash flesh into a small blender.
11Blend the squash until it's super smooth.
12Add salt to the boiling pasta water.
13Add pasta to the boiling water and cook.
14In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.
15Fold in the squash puree into the egg and cheese mixture.
16Add the cooked pasta (a touch under al dente) to the pan with the reserved guanciale fat.
17Add some pasta water to the pan with the pasta and fat.
18Pour the squash mixture into the pan with the pasta.
19Toss the pasta with the sauce over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water until it creates a nice emulsified sauce.
20Serve the pasta in a bowl.
21Top with crispy guanciale.
22Garnish with more grated cheese and black pepper.

knifecutting boardsteamerpotpanslotted spoonpaper towelgratersmall blenderwhiskladlebowl

Cook guanciale over a low heat to render it slowly and yield the most fat.
Steam the squash over the same pot used for pasta water to save time and energy.
Add splashes of pasta water to the sauce to create a nice emulsified sauce.

Serves 1

Serves 1

1Cut the honey nut squash in half.
2Place the squash halves in a steamer over a pot of boiling water.
3Cover the steamer with a lid.
4Cut the guanciale into small pieces.
5Cook the guanciale in a pan over low heat until crispy, rendering out the fat.
6Remove the crispy guanciale from the pan and place it on a paper towel-lined tray to drain.
7Grate some Pecorino Romano cheese.
8Check if the steamed squash is soft by poking it with a skewer.
9Remove the squash from the steamer and scoop out the seeds.
10Scoop the softened squash flesh into a small blender.
11Blend the squash until it's super smooth.
12Add salt to the boiling pasta water.
13Add pasta to the boiling water and cook.
14In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.
15Fold in the squash puree into the egg and cheese mixture.
16Add the cooked pasta (a touch under al dente) to the pan with the reserved guanciale fat.
17Add some pasta water to the pan with the pasta and fat.
18Pour the squash mixture into the pan with the pasta.
19Toss the pasta with the sauce over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water until it creates a nice emulsified sauce.
20Serve the pasta in a bowl.
21Top with crispy guanciale.
22Garnish with more grated cheese and black pepper.

knifecutting boardsteamerpotpanslotted spoonpaper towelgratersmall blenderwhiskladlebowl

Cook guanciale over a low heat to render it slowly and yield the most fat.
Steam the squash over the same pot used for pasta water to save time and energy.
Add splashes of pasta water to the sauce to create a nice emulsified sauce.