Creamy Butternut Squash Penne with Crispy Pancetta Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Start by peeling and cubing the squash into even three-quarter-inch pieces, since uneven cubes roast unevenly. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole so they soften without burning. Dice the pancetta if it is not already diced, and pull the sage leaves from their stems, checking that they are dry so they fry instead of spitting.

Measure the stock, the chevre and the pumpkin seeds, and set out the nutmeg. Put a large pot of water on to heat for the pasta, and place a sheet pan in the oven as it preheats to 425°F (220°C). Having everything within reach matters here, because the squash, pancetta and pasta all move on separate clocks that meet at the end.

Instructions

Roast and Crisp

1. 1Roast the squash
   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the squash cubes, garlic cloves and olive oil directly on a sheet pan, rubbing the oil over every piece. Spread the cubes into a single layer with a little space between them, then roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
   Look for The edges turn deep golden brown and a knife slides into a cube with no resistance.
   Tip Crowding steams the squash instead of roasting it; use two pans if needed.
2. 2Crisp the pancetta and sage
   While the squash roasts, set the diced pancetta in a large cold skillet and place it over medium heat. Let the fat render slowly, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cubes are deeply browned and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
   Look for The pancetta cubes darken at the edges and the skillet holds a pool of shimmering fat.
   Tip Starting in a cold pan renders more fat and cooks the cubes evenly through.
3. 3Fry the sage leaves
   Lower the heat slightly and lay the sage leaves in the hot pancetta fat. Fry them for about 30 seconds per side, just until they turn dark green, translucent at the center and brittle. Transfer them to a paper towel, leaving the flavored fat in the pan for the sauce.
   Look for The leaves sizzle hard at first, then quiet down as their water cooks off.
   Tip Sage burns in seconds; pull each leaf the moment it stops sizzling loudly.

At the end of this phase the squash cubes should be tender all the way through with deep golden, caramelized edges, and the garlic cloves should be soft enough to crush against the pan. The kitchen smells sweet and toasty. In the skillet, the pancetta is brown and brittle with a pool of rendered fat, and the sage leaves are dark green and snap cleanly when bent. Check that nothing on the sheet pan has scorched in spots; pale patches mean uneven cubing. If the squash is done before the pancetta, simply let both hold; the next phase waits for neither.

Blend and Simmer

4. 4Blend the sauce
   Scrape the hot squash and garlic into a blender with the vegetable stock, chevre and a grating of nutmeg. Blend on high for a full minute, until the purée is completely smooth and falls from the blade in a slow ribbon. Add a splash more stock only if it will not move.
   Look for No visible flecks of squash remain and the color is even, deep amber-orange.
   Tip Hot squash melts the chevre far more easily than cold stock does.
5. 5Boil the penne
   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and cook the penne until al dente, following the package timing and starting to test two minutes early. Before draining, scoop out a cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the penne in a colander.
   Look for A piece of penne bites tender at the edge with a firm, pale center.
   Tip The reserved pasta water is the tool that makes the sauce cling and flow.
6. 6Simmer the sauce
   Pour the purée into the skillet with the pancetta fat and set it over medium-low heat. Let it come to a gentle simmer, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes so the raw squash edge cooks off and the sauce thickens slightly. Keep the bubbles slow and lazy.
   Look for The surface moves in thick, slow blisters and the sauce coats the spoon.
   Tip A hard boil can push the cheese to turn grainy, so keep the heat low.

The purée should be perfectly smooth, deep amber-orange, and thick enough to fall from the spoon in a slow ribbon rather than pour. It should taste of roasted squash first, with the goat cheese behind it as tang and body, and a faint warmth from the nutmeg. The penne is al dente with a cup of its starchy water set aside. In the skillet, the sauce simmers with slow, lazy bubbles and already coats the back of a spoon. If it tastes flat, a pinch more cheese fixes it; if it is too thick to stir, a splash of stock loosens it. Nothing here should ever bubble hard.

Finish and Serve

7. 7Toss the pasta with sauce
   Pull the skillet off the heat and add the drained penne, tossing with a wooden spoon. Add the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing after each addition, until the sauce turns glossy and flows into every ridge of the pasta without pooling at the bottom.
   Look for The penne glistens evenly and a dragged spoon leaves a brief trail on the pan.
   Tip Tossing off the heat keeps the sauce from tightening and seizing on the pasta.
8. 8Toast the seeds and serve
   Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until they puff and smell nutty. Twirl the sauced penne into warm bowls, then scatter the crispy pancetta, fried sage leaves and pumpkin seeds over each portion right away.
   Look for The seeds blister slightly and give off a toasty, nutty aroma.
   Tip Warm the bowls first; the sauce thickens quickly on cold ceramic.

The finished penne should look glossy and amber, every piece coated, with no watery ring at the bottom of the skillet. The pancetta, fried sage and toasted pumpkin seeds go on just before the bowls leave the counter, so the crunch is still loud at the table.

A dragged spoon should leave a brief trail through the sauce that slowly closes. Taste one final piece of pasta: tender, seasoned, coated. If the sauce has tightened while plating, a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water stirred in brings the gloss right back. Serve at once, while everything is hot and contrasted.

Common mistakes

The most common failure is crowding the sheet pan, which traps steam and leaves the squash pale and watery instead of caramelized; spread the cubes out or use two pans. The second is boiling the sauce hard, which is exactly what pushes goat cheese to turn grainy, so keep the simmer slow and stir often.

Third, draining the pasta without reserving a cup of the starchy water leaves no way to loosen the thick purée, and the sauce seizes on the hot pasta. Finally, overcooking the penne even two minutes past al dente turns the finished dish heavy, because the pasta keeps absorbing sauce in the pan. Test early and drain promptly.

How to tell it’s done

The dish is done when three things are true at once. The sauce should be completely smooth, thick enough to coat a spoon and glossy, with a slow blistering simmer rather than a boil. The penne should be al dente, tender at the edge with a firm center, and each piece should glisten with sauce after tossing.

The pancetta should be deeply browned and brittle, the sage leaves dark and crisp, and the pumpkin seeds puffed and nutty. Taste a piece of pasta straight from the pan before plating; it should be seasoned through, not only at the surface. Serve immediately, since the sauce tightens as it sits. Leftovers should cool for no more than 2 hours before going into the refrigerator.