Winter Squash Cavatelli with Speck and Wild Arugula

This recipe pairs well with the Domaine Serene 2011 Winery Hill. This wine, with its fully integrated oak and vibrant acidity, balance the sweetness of the squash while interacting with the umami of the ham and cheese and peppery arugula.

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked Cavatelli pasta, handmade or store-bought (Rigatoni or penne also work)

• 1 whole acorn or butternut squash, split and de-seeded, pureed to create about 1 cup puree

• 1 cup high quality butter

• extra virgin olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• 2 tablespoons grated Grana Padano cheese

• 1/3 cup speck, julienned

• 1 bunch wild arugula, washed, woody stems removed, 12 leaves reserved for garnish

• 100 ml pasta water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cut squash in half. Remove seeds and pulp. Drizzle flesh with olive oil and rub it in. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the squash, flesh down, on an oven-safe sheet tray and cook for about one hour. When done, a fork can pass through the flesh of the squash with no resistance. Allow to cool slightly. Puree the squash with the butter in a high-speed blender, and pass through a fine mesh sieve. Adjust salt to taste, a bit under-seasoned.

Tip: Firm squashes are recommended. Avoid chalky or watery squashes.

Add pasta to boiling, salted water. Cook to al dente, or desired tenderness.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a 10-inch stainless steel sauté pan. When oil becomes fragrant, add speck. Brown for about 30 seconds.

Add squash puree to the pan.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture and lower heat to simmer

Strain pasta, saving back a few tablespoons of the water.

Toss arugula and ¾ of grated cheese in the pan with squash and pasta mixture.

Serve:

Garnish on the plate with cheese and arugula leaves, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: If the mixture seems too thick, add back saved pasta water to desired consistency.

Domaine Serene’s regional chef de cuisine, John Conlin, learned from owner and chef Tony Najiloa, before moving to New York City, where he worked at Marc Meyers’ Five Points, The Farm-to-Table Cookshop, Savoy and Michelin-starred Le Restaurant. In Oregon, he served as executive chef at Roe and Tercet, before joining the Domaine Serene Wine Lounge in Lake Oswego.