Buttery Squash & Duck Pasta

Butternut squash prep

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cut the top and bottom of the squash off, and peel the squash.
4. Carefully cut the squash in half, clearing the seeds, before cutting it into smaller pieces.
5. Place the squash sections on the baking sheet and drizzle everything with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Make sure to coat everything evenly with the oil.
6. Arrange the squash in an even layer on the sheet, and roast until the squash is browned and tender, about 40 minutes or longer depending on how big your squash is.
7. Remove the roasted squash from the oven and allow it to cool down enough to handle.
8. Dice the squash into small pieces, and set aside.

Pasta prep

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package instructions – or until al dente.
2. Strain the pasta while reserving about a ½ cup of the pasta water.

Duck confit prep (optional protein)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Put an ovenproof frying pan on the stove until it is hot, then add the duck leg(s), skin-side down, and sear for 4 minutes. Turn the legs over and transfer the pan to the oven for 30 minutes until the skin is crisp and the meat is thoroughly heated through (omit this step if you are keeping this dish vegetarian).
3. You can choose to strip the meat from the bones to combine it evenly into the dish, OR leave it whole to serve it on top of the pasta.

Cooking the pasta

1. Prepare the shallot by cutting it into thin strips.
2. Peel and thinly slice your garlic.
3. Rough chop the basil leaves and set aside.
4. Rough chop the parsley leaves, and set aside for garnish later.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, and add in the shallots and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the shallots are soft and the mixture is fragrant.
6. Add the diced roasted squash to your pan, stirring to combine.
7. Then, add in your cooked pasta, shredded duck meat, and half of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan. Stir to combine and cook on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until everything is evenly coated and mixed together. If the pasta seems dry, gradually add in the remaining cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.
8. Turn off the heat, and stir in the sour cream and butter to pasta.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in your chopped basil leaves.
10. Give the pan a good mix to combine the last of the ingredients, and take it off the heat.