Butternut Squash Pasta with Saffron Shrimp

Butternut squash has officially entered into weekly rotation in this household. In past years, we’ve had it roasted, spiced and souped (new word?) six-ways until Sunday. But now, I am taking full advantage of what we were missing out on: a creamy dreamy base for pasta. Think alla vodka creamy but with a dairy-free base. It’s also a tad sweet so it’s a nice change! My favorite part is how the leeks really add some unexpected depth to the sauce without overpowering it. Okay, enough about this pasta and now the shrimp! The saffron adds sweetness to the blackening spices and rounds out the dish as a whole. Yum. Plus, you know I like to support small-scale, sustainable seafood. So, while we are on the topic, I wanted to spotlight the always reliable Del Pacifico Seafoods! If you didn’t already know, they allow you to trace your seafood by lot number and can be found in the frozen section at Whole Foods and other grocery stores throughout the US. Anyway - here’s this amazing pasta recipe. Hope you love it!

Ingredients

Serves 2

Pasta

1 butternut squash (cubed)

1 leek (sliced with greens discarded; if the butternut squash is large, used a large leek or two medium sized leeks)

1/2 lb peeled and deveined tail on shrimp (I used Del Pacifico’s Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp)

1 can of coconut milk (you may not use the entire thing)

1 tbsp good quality saffron threads

2 cups of cooked long pasta of your choice (I used long fusilli (which is basically curly bucatini) but something hearty like spaghetti or regular bucatini will also work well with the heavier sauce)

2-3 tbsp olive oil for roasting

1 tbsp chopped garlic chives

salt and pepper

Bay leaf *optional

Shrimp

1 tsp saffron

Blackening spices (1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp chili powder)

Avocado oil

Additional items

Meat thermometer

Blender or food processor

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the butternut squash cubes in 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 20 minute or until they begin to soften. Then remove the pan from the oven, toss the butternut squash and sprinkle the leeks on top. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, toss one more time and roast for another 15- 20 minutes until the butternut squash has become golden and soft when pricked. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

3. Once cooled, place the squash in a blender with half the can of coconut milk and blend until creamy. Add in more coconut milk as needed. I did not use the entire can but just to help thin it out. The butternut squash and leeks should be totally smooth and not chunky.

4. In a pot, bring some well salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set the pasta aside.

5. Add the puree to a pot and sprinkle in the saffron threads to allow to bloom. Put in a bay leaf if using and heat the sauce on low for 10 minutes until it reduces a bit and appears to have thickened.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the shrimp by tossing in the blackened seasoning and saffron and set aside. Heat a skillet on med-high. Once the skillet is hot, add in the avocado oil (or other high heat oil) and begin searing the shrimp when the oil is about 360 F. Sear the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. If you have a meat thermometer check the shrimp when its nearing 120 F and remove from heat.

7. Now, toss the pasta in the sauce with some pasta water to help the sauce stick to the pasta. You can also use it to thin out the sauce if needed. Salt to taste.

8. Lastly, divide the pasta into bowls, top with saffron shrimp and sprinkle the garlic chives on top. Hope you enjoy this sweet and savory autumn dish!