Hazelnut, Sage, and Butternut Squash Spaghetti

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla®. The opinions and text are all mine.
It’s nearly October 25th….and you know what that means. It’s almost World Pasta Day, everyone!! I’m celebrating the holiday early with a delicious seasonal meal that includes roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, toasted hazelnuts, and delicious Barilla classic spaghetti. I love the seasonal fluidity of pasta—it’s the perfect canvas for a delicious and nutritious meal filled with fresh seasonal produce. Here in Oregon, we grow a ton of hazelnuts (there’s even some wild hazelnut trees on the homestead!), so I wanted to put them to use in this tasty dish. The sauce is a bit of a riff on a pesto, and it’s made of hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sage, Parmigiano Reggiano, and olive oil all pureed together. It will seem very thick at first, but when you mix in a little pasta water (the magic key ingredient!) it will turn wonderfully creamy in texture and coat each and every strand of spaghetti.

Growing up in a Greek family, pasta was a weekly staple (if not bi-or-tri-weekly!) There’s similar pasta types across the entire Mediterranean region, like spaghetti and orzo, and some special Greek ones, like tiny square pastas the size of your pinky nail. To this day, I still love trying out every shape of pasta I can find. I will readily admit, though, that classic spaghetti remains my favorite. It reminds me of the spiced sauce my mom makes with ground lamb, a bit of nutmeg and salt, chopped onion, and sweet juicy tomatoes from the garden. Gathering around a hot, steaming pot of spaghetti was a wonderful way to bring the whole family together around a shared meal. Like my mom’s pasta sauce, I think the best dishes are made with simple yet delicious ingredients, and that’s one of the reasons why I always cook with Barilla pasta—their products are made with few, wholesome ingredients to provide a simple and natural way to enjoy eating.

I also have some exciting news to share! A couple months ago I wrote about seeing Chef Carolina Diaz of Terzo Piano Chicago secure the space for the US chef at the Barilla Pasta World Championship…well, I’m now rooting for her in person while I’m attending the Barilla Pasta World Championship in Italy on October 25th, which is World Pasta Day! I’m SOOOOO excited to attend and try all the pasta, learn all the pasta tips, and share them with you guys! Be sure to follow my journey in my Instagram stories to get the inside scoop on the competition and expert tips for making incredible pasta. In the meantime, you can dive into the recipe below and celebrate World Pasta Day along with me. Enjoy it, friends!!