By The calves shipped Monday — a truck from the Billings sale barn came and loaded them out before eight in the morning. They were gone by the time I finished feeding the horses. The cows called for them for three days, a sound that carries across the whole ranch and that I've heard every October of my life and that I still find somewhere between mournful and necessary. That's ranching. You raise them and you sell them and the land recycles and you start again.
The check for the calf crop comes in about ten days. Patrick has always handled the finances and I'm in the process of learning them — he's been walking me through the books since September, slowly, in that way he has where he explains without explaining, shows without showing, until you realize you've learned it without a formal lesson. The mortgage, the operating line, the feed costs, the vet bills. The numbers are tight. They've always been tight. Ranching is not a prosperous enterprise; it's a stubborn one.
Sixty-seven days dry this week. I mentioned it to Gary Thursday and he said, "Don't count the days, make the days count." I said, "Gary, that's a bumper sticker." He laughed and said, "Most things worth saying are." He's not wrong.
Tom Whelan called and asked if I wanted to take on a regular client — a horse operation outside Billings, twelve horses, quarterly shoeing. A real account. I said I'd do it. It's the first time someone's called me for farrier work rather than me coming along with Tom. Something is happening here. Something small and real and steady is happening.
Mom made her beef stir fry Wednesday, which is not a traditional ranch recipe but which she learned from a magazine in the 1980s and adapted to use whatever vegetables she has. Quick, hot pan, thin-sliced beef, soy sauce. We ate it over white rice. Simple and right.
Mom’s beef stir fry fed us well on Wednesday, but by the end of the week I was thinking about something slower — something that felt more like October, more like the particular weight of a season wrapping up. This Harvest Pasta Sauce has become my version of that: it uses the kind of fall vegetables we always have on hand, it doesn’t ask much of you, and it makes the kitchen smell like something is going right. After a week of shipping calves and learning the books and saying yes to a new account, simple and right is exactly what I needed.
Harvest Pasta Sauce {Trader Joe’s Copycat}
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 lb pasta (rigatoni or penne recommended)
- Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread butternut squash, onion, garlic, and red bell pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, and toss to coat. Roast 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until squash is tender and edges are caramelized.
- Build the sauce base. While vegetables roast, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour in the canned tomatoes (crush them by hand as you add them) along with their juices. Stir in red pepper flakes, thyme, and nutmeg. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine and blend. Add the roasted vegetables to the tomato base. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches with a standard blender), blend the sauce until mostly smooth — a little texture is fine and welcome. Return to low heat.
- Finish the sauce. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Toss and serve. Add drained pasta directly to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen. Serve immediately topped with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 63g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 520mg