Seasonal Reverse Nude, or, Sweet November
This is a a truly special, complex riff on an Italian favorite: the squash gnudi. Gnudi means nude, and is imagined as a ravioli without its skin. Sage and squash are signals for autumn’s full arrival, and when we eat food from a different time, we do a bit of aromatic time travel. This dish has surfaced over many Novembers, a binding thread between different memories and different lives lived.
This dish is a small capsule for nostalgia, truly bittersweet in both tasting notes and the saccharine longing for a passed moment.
Total preparation time: 1 hour active, 2.5 hours passive
Difficulty: A worthy challenge.
Pineapples: 5/5 
Read before committing: This is a complex dish for advanced palates. It is herbal, sweet, even a little astringent. The flavors come together wonderfully, but not for beginners. Vegetarian without pancetta.
(makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
One 2lb butternut squash
1 bundle of sage
1 small bundle cilantro
1 pack of almond cookies — amaretto cookies preferred
1 cup flour
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup miso paste
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pancetta cubes (optional)
2 egg yolks (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Halve your squash and score it diagonally with a knife. Remove seeds.
Combine 1/2 cup miso paste with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread across the squash.
Cook until squash is fork tender, 45-50 minutes.
Broil directly under broiler for 5 minutes until lightly charred.
Let cool on countertop, 30-40 minutes.
Scoop out the squash and add to a metal bowl.
Add 1/4 miso paste, the torn leaves of 6 sage stalks, salt, pepper, the parmigiano reggiano, and the two egg yolks.
Slowly fold in the flour until fully mixed.
Place mixture in fridge and let cool for 45 minutes.
Start boiling a large pot of water.
Form your choice of spherical shapes from the mixture. Having flour on your hands and on your work surface is helpful.
Add gnudi to the boiling water and let boil for 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In a large pan, begin browning pancetta cubes and add butter and the leaves of 8 sage stalks once pancetta cubes are brown.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the gnudi, browning them on each side. You may have to work in batches.
Plate 4-5 gnudi per person, it is very filling.
Add some of the sage, butter, and pancetta pan sauce to the top of each portion.
Add some uncooked sage and uncooked cilantro to garnish, generously.
Crush the almond cookies and sprinkle generously over the top.
Savor each bite, alternating between focusing on the cohesive whole and each individual ingredient in the mix.
