guest blogger: sarah!

Editor's note: Sarah was the reason this blog even exists. I'm so excited she was willing to guest blog her wonderful meal from last night! Without further ado, here's Sarah!

'Tis the season for squash... And for last night's debate, we wanted something warm and satisfying to keep out the first gusts of Nebraska's winter winds.

Topping everyone's list of go-to butternut squash recipes is usually soup. Butternut squash soup is certainly one of my favorite winter comfort foods (nothing beats my mom's), but I wanted to try something a bit more substantial. This dish combines sweet, creamy squash -- cubed and roasted to retain some structure -- with chicken seared with a dusting of ground sage and a decadent white wine sauce laced with nutty roasted garlic. It's not a quick meal, but take care of the unwieldy squash prep and tedious cheese grating in the morning and you can toss the dish together fairly quickly when you return at the end of a long day.

My girlfriends and I enjoyed this dish with a big loaf of soft Vienna bread torn into chucks and washed it down with big glasses of good Chardonnay. Take the extra garlic you roast with the squash and mash it with some softened butter for the bread.

Wint'ry Mix

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

You'll Need:

• 1 butternut squash (1 1/2 - 2 lbs)
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 lb fettucine
• 1 bulb garlic (yes, the whole bulb...you'll be glad you did!)
• 1-2 cups fresh grated parmesan
• 1 T. ground sage
• 2 T. fresh sage
• 1/4 C. flour
• 6 T. butter
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1/2 C. dry white wine
• 1/2 C. to 1 C. chicken stock
• Salt and Pepper

Remove the tough outer skin of the squash with a sharp knife and cut the flesh into 1/2 in. cubes. Toss in a tablespoon of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread the squash evenly in a big baking dish. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb and drizzle with a touch of oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and nestle the packet amongst the squash cubes. Place the baking dish in a 350 degree oven. The squash will take 30 minutes or so to soften turn it once about halfway through. You'll have to leave the garlic in a bit longer...45 minutes to an hour. Just take the garlic out right as you're throwing everything together.

At some point (now is probably as good a time as any!), start the process of bringing your pasta water to a boil.

To prepare the chicken - Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium high heat. Dust each side of the chicken with a little ground sage and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in flour and add to the pan. The flour will help form a lovely dark golden crust on the chicken and will help thicken the wine sauce when you deglaze the pan.

I cooked the chicken for about 6 minutes for each side, then turned the heat down to medium, put the lid on, and did another 4 minutes per side to ensure the chicken was cooked through. The result was plump, flavorful chicken that was tender and juicy inside and slightly crispy outside. Set the chicken aside to cool a bit and return your pan to the stove.

Now is a good time to add your pasta to the pasta water (which is hopefully now boiling). Don't forget to add a generous amount of salt to the pot.

Add a half a cup or so of wine to the pan and scrape up all the chicken bits in the pan. Let the wine reduce a bit, 3-5 minutes or so at a good simmer. Add the chicken stock and let the mixture cook down to a thin, but substantial sauce. When everything has reduced down add a tablespoon or two of the butter to give the sauce a rich depth and silky texture. At this point you can take the garlic out and carefully (I used a dish towel to avoid burning myself) squeeze out two or three cloves of the garlic into the sauce. Mash lightly with the back of your spoon and stir it in.

[Note: the following component can be omitted if you're really counting calories] In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter (half a stick). Add the fresh sage and let the butter brown to a dark, caramel-colored sauce. This will be your brown butter drizzle.

Okay, time to toss everything together! Slice the chicken, find your squash, drain the pasta, and add everything back to the dry pasta pot. Add the parm, reserving a bit for topping, and toss with the pasta mix to melt and distribute. Pour the wine sauce over the mix and toss lightly once more. Plate the pasta, serve with a hunk of bread, and drizzle the plate with a bit of your butter mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and ENJOY!

*Image courtesy: www.krissa.org