Butternut Squash Pancetta Fettuccine

Preparation

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cook the diced pancetta in the hot pan for about 6-8 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Drain half of the rendered fat out of the pan and then put the pan back on the heat. Add the butternut squash cubes. Let them get soft and fragrant for a couple of minutes, picking up that gorgeous flavor of the pancetta fat.

Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Then add the milk, sage leaves, garlic clove, salt, crushed red pepper and dried onion. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce it to simmer for about 15 minutes. The butternut squash should get really tender. When the time is up, take the pan off of the heat to let it cool for 2-3 minutes.

While the sauce cooks, get a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta and salt it generously. Cook the fettuccine until tender for about 8-10 minutes. When the sauce mixture has cooled, transfer it to a blender and puree it thoroughly until smooth. Always be careful putting hot liquids in a blender

Pour it back into the pan and warm it up over medium low heat. Stir the reserved diced pancetta and let the mixture bubble for a couple of minutes. The fettuccine should be done at this point. Drain it and pour it into the pan of sauce. Toss it all thoroughly together and let the fettuccine absorb the flavors of the sauce for a minute or two. Take the pan off of the heat.

Just plate the pasta and serve with parmesan on top. Crusty bread is amazing with it to mop up any leftover sauce. Enjoy!