I slightly adapted this recipe by Karen Levin which was published in the
Cooking Light Magazine, March 2004. Photo by Becky Luigard-Stayner and Jan Gautro.
Since I love both butternut squash and pasta, this recipe immediately attracted my attention. The recipe
didn't let me down as it is easy-to-make and very delicious!
Learn about
Squash Hints, Tips, and Information, and more delicious
Squash Recipes. Also check out
Pasta Hints and Tips and more delicious
Pasta Recipes.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta
Recipe Type:
Pasta,
Squash,
Bacon,
Cheese
Yields: 5 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Squash cook time: 45 min
Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon
coarse salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground
black pepper
3 cups butternut
squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces uncooked mini-penna pasta*
6 hickory-smoked bacon slices
1 cup thinly-sliced shallots or onions
1/4 cup all-purpose
flour
2 cups milk
1 cup freshly-grated
Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano), divided
* You may substitute elbow
macaroni, shell pasta, etc.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a
baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lightly
coat an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon
salt, rosemary, and pepper.
Place squash cubes on the prepared baking
sheet. Sprinkle with prepared salt mixture and bake for approximately 45
minutes or until the squash is tender and lightly browned; remove from oven
and set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pan to keep warm.
Learn How To Cook Pasta Properly.
In a large non-stick frying pan over medium
heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp; remove cooked bacon from the pan
and crumble cooked bacon and set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon
drippings in the frying pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots or
onions and saute for approximately 8 minutes or until tender. Remove from
heat and add squash mixture, crumbled bacon, and shallot or onions; set
aside.
In a large pan or pot, combine flour and 1/2
teaspoon salt. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk and
bring to a boil and let cook until slightly thick, approximately 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, stirring until
cheese melts. Add cooked pasta, tossing well to combine.
Spoon pasta mixture into the prepared baking
dish. Top with the squash mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated
Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Baked for 10 minutes or until cheese
melts and just begins to brown. Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 5 servings.
