Pasta With Squash, Carmelised Onions and Paprika Sauce

I started making dinner at 5 PM with no idea what I'd be serving. By 7 PM this is what I brought to the table. I find it difficult to cook with imagination when I'm not feeling well, but this dinner really suggested itself as I have a counter brimming with assorted squashes.

You Will Need:

For the noodles:

3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semolina flour
1-2 cups AP flour
Extra flour for dusting

Beat eggs until light. Add water and salt. Beat in semolina flour and 1/2 cup AP flour. Add the rest by hand until you have a very stiff dough. Wrap in plastic and let rest half an hour before rolling. Then, let dry briefly on a rack before cooking. Boil gently for about fifteen minutes.

For the Onions:

2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, thinly slices
1 tablespoons preserved lemon rind, pith removed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sweet (not smoked or hot) paprika

Add everything except paprika. Cook gently until onions are deeply browned. Stir in paprika at the last few minutes of cooking. Add more oil if needed at this point.

For the Buttercup Squash:

Cut into eighths and scoop out seeds. In each section place a garlic clove, a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of chili powder and some salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees F. until tender, but not mushy. Cool, remove skins and cut into cubes. Add to onions. Again, add more olive oil if needed.

Toss with hot pasta, garnish with some chopped parsley. Serve dinner to family. Crawl back into bed clutching your head. Don;t worry, you've made plenty for leftovers.