Butternut Squash Agnolotti
with Sage Brown Butter
Delicate homemade pasta pillows filled with roasted butternut squash and finished in a nutty sage brown butter sauce. This elegant fall pasta feels restaurant-worthy, but it’s exactly the sort of cozy project that makes a dinner at home feel special.
LAND2SHORE / FROM CHEF NICO’S KITCHEN
THE RECIPE
Butternut Squash Agnolotti with Sage Brown Butter
PREPARATION
See recipe card
COOK / YIELD
See recipe card
6 servings
Made to Be Shared
There’s something deeply satisfying about a plate of handmade pasta, especially when it’s filled with butternut squash and glossed in brown butter. It’s rich without being heavy, cozy without being clunky, and just fancy enough to make you feel like you’ve done something impressive in your own kitchen. Which, to be fair, you absolutely have.
Agnolotti is one of those classic Italian pastas that looks polished and refined, but at its heart it’s comfort food. The roasted squash brings a natural sweetness, the filling stays creamy and savory, and the sage brown butter does what sage brown butter always does: makes the whole kitchen smell like you know exactly what you’re doing.
This is a beautiful dish for fall dinners, date nights at home, or a holiday meal when you want something a little more elegant than the usual routine. Serve it simply, let the pasta shine, and don’t be surprised if everyone suddenly starts using phrases like “restaurant quality.”
The Ingredients
Ingredients & Pantry
Pasta Dough
- About 4 1/2 cups 00 flour (1 lb 4 oz by weight; use a kitchen scale if possible)
- 4 Whole eggs
- 6 Egg yolks
Squash Filling
- 2.5 lb Butternut squash
- 5 oz Mascarpone
- 6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- Nutmeg, fresh grated (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
Brown Butter and Sage
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 20 Fresh sage leaves
To Finish
- 3 oz Amaretti cookies, crushed
Before You Begin
Prep: See recipe card
Cook: See recipe card
Yield: 6 servings
The full measured recipe, printable instructions, and food-safety notes appear below.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AGNOLOTTI WITH SAGE BROWN BUTTER
Let's COOK, Step by Step
Chef Nico’s preparation, with complete measurements and guidance in the printable recipe below.
01 | Squash Filling
- Roast butternut halves cut-side down at 400°F until collapsing, ~50 min. Scoop, pass through fine-mesh sieve, and dry the purée in a sauté pan until it holds a peak — wet filling blows out agnolotti.
- Fold purée with mascarpone, half the Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt. Cover in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly. Refrigerate filling in a shallow container within 2 hours and chill before filling pasta.
02 | Pasta Dough and Assembly
- Make pasta: flour, eggs, yolks; knead 8–10 min to a smooth, tight dough. Rest wrapped 30 min minimum.
- Roll the dough with a pasta machine to thin sheets that are just short of translucent; settings vary by machine. Put filling into a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe a narrow line along the dough, fold the dough over the filling, pinch it into small parcels, and cut between the pinches with a pasta wheel. Arrange on baking sheets lightly dusted with some of the listed flour, single layer. Refrigerate at or below 40°F; use within 24 hours or freeze.
03 | Brown Butter, Cooking, and Serving
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl until the milk solids are golden and smell nutty. Remove from heat and add the sage leaves. Cook the pasta in batches if needed so it can be tossed gently without crowding.
- Blanch agnolotti in aggressively salted water 2–3 min until they float and the plin is tender. Transfer straight to the brown butter with a splash of pasta water; toss to emulsify and glaze.
- Plate, rain Parmigiano and crushed amaretti over the top.
FROM THE CHEF
Chef Nico’s Notes
Suggested wine pairing: Pieropan Soave Classico, Veneto — serve at 48°F.
Seven agnolotti per person in a warmed shallow bowl, glazed and glossy, amaretti crumble across the center line, sage leaves from the butter on top. The bowl must be warm — brown butter breaks on cold china.
At home: refrigerate perishable ingredients and prepared food at 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the outdoor temperature is above 90°F. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. Raw fish dishes should be made just before serving and not saved for later.
AROUND THE TABLE
What to Serve With It
Serve in warmed shallow bowls with a little of the butter sauce, grated Parmigiano, and amaretti crumbs. Keep the portions tidy so the handmade pasta gets attention.
A dry white wine or sparkling water with citrus suits the squash and butter. Check the amaretti label along with the pasta and dairy ingredients when identifying allergens.
PHOTO 04 / SERVING DETAIL
KEEP THIS RECIPE
Agnolotti di Zucca
Agnolotti di Zucca / Butternut–Mascarpone Agnolotti, Sage Brown Butter, Crushed Amaretti, Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Yield6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- About 4 1/2 cups 00 flour (1 lb 4 oz by weight; use a kitchen scale if possible)
- 4 Whole eggs
- 6 Egg yolks
Squash Filling
- 2.5 lb Butternut squash
- 5 oz Mascarpone
- 6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- Nutmeg, fresh grated (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
Brown Butter and Sage
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 20 Fresh sage leaves
To Finish
- 3 oz Amaretti cookies, crushed
Instructions
Squash Filling
- Roast butternut halves cut-side down at 400°F until collapsing, ~50 min. Scoop, pass through fine-mesh sieve, and dry the purée in a sauté pan until it holds a peak — wet filling blows out agnolotti.
- Fold purée with mascarpone, half the Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt. Cover in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly. Refrigerate filling in a shallow container within 2 hours and chill before filling pasta.
Pasta Dough and Assembly
- Make pasta: flour, eggs, yolks; knead 8–10 min to a smooth, tight dough. Rest wrapped 30 min minimum.
- Roll the dough with a pasta machine to thin sheets that are just short of translucent; settings vary by machine. Put filling into a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe a narrow line along the dough, fold the dough over the filling, pinch it into small parcels, and cut between the pinches with a pasta wheel. Arrange on baking sheets lightly dusted with some of the listed flour, single layer. Refrigerate at or below 40°F; use within 24 hours or freeze.
Brown Butter, Cooking, and Serving
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl until the milk solids are golden and smell nutty. Remove from heat and add the sage leaves. Cook the pasta in batches if needed so it can be tossed gently without crowding.
- Blanch agnolotti in aggressively salted water 2–3 min until they float and the plin is tender. Transfer straight to the brown butter with a splash of pasta water; toss to emulsify and glaze.
- Plate, rain Parmigiano and crushed amaretti over the top.
Notes
Suggested wine pairing: Pieropan Soave Classico, Veneto — serve at 48°F.
Seven agnolotti per person in a warmed shallow bowl, glazed and glossy, amaretti crumble across the center line, sage leaves from the butter on top. The bowl must be warm — brown butter breaks on cold china.
At home: refrigerate perishable ingredients and prepared food at 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the outdoor temperature is above 90°F. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. Raw fish dishes should be made just before serving and not saved for later.
- Category: Main Dishes
CHEF NICO’S ESSENTIALS
Ready, Set, Cook
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