Cabbage & Sage Pasta

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the ends of the squash. Carefully peel, leaving alternating strips of skin intact. Halve lengthwise; using a spoon, scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Arrange cut side down. Roast, flipping halfway through, 28 to 30 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

While the squash roasts, cut out and discard the cabbage core; thinly slice the leaves. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Pick the sage leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop. Grate the cheese on the small side of a box grater. To make the hot honey, in a bowl, combine the honey (kneading the packet before opening) and up to half the red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.

While the squash continues to roast, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 11 to 13 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.

While the pasta cooks, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced cabbage and chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped sage and as much of the remaining red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the squash continues to roast, add the cooked pasta, butter, half the grated cheese, and half the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan of cooked cabbage; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly coated. (If the pasta seems dry, gradually add the remaining cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle the roasted squash with the hot honey. (If the honey seems too thick, before drizzling, stir in enough warm water to achieve your desired consistency.) Serve the finished pasta with the finished squash. Garnish the pasta with the remaining grated cheese. Enjoy!