Butternut Squash Pasta With Bacon And Parmesan Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large rimmed pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, toss squash, oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Spread in pan; roast 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add onion, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• Add broth and cream to onions in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Continue to cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in reserved bacon, roasted squash, cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. Transfer to serving dishes; garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Steps:

• Using a fork, poke a few holes in skin of squash. Place the entire squash in the microwave and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Remove squash using a towel or oven mitts and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place squash on cutting board and hold warm squash with an oven mitt (or latex dishwashing glove) and slice squash in half; scoop out seeds.
• Place one squash half face down on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high-power, 3 to 5 minutes. Reserve second squash half for another use.
• Scoop cooked squash flesh out of shell and place in a blender or food processor and blend with about 3 tablespoons water until smooth; set aside. Makes about 11/2 cups puree.
• In a large pot, cook penne according to directions on the regular pasta box (as it takes a little longer to cook than whole grain pasta). Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water.
• In the same large pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until browned. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving bacon fat (about 1 tablespoon) in the pot.
• Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the bacon fat. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in reserved squash puree; cook until warm, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese, thyme, salt, pepper and 1 to 2 tablespoons pasta water if sauce seems too thick. Add pasta and reserved bacon and toss gently. Serve with additional shredded cheese if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle liberally with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss and roast until soft and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Place the diced bacon in a medium nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Cook until crispy and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place in a medium bowl lined with a paper towel.
• Add the pasta and a generous amount of salt to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Add the sage leaves to the rendered bacon fat in the skillet, return to medium heat, and fry until the leaves are crispy, about 1 minute. Transfer the leaves to a small plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the reserved bacon fat and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the goat cheese and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in the cream, Parmesan, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne and black pepper to taste. Keep warm on low heat.
• Once the pasta is drained, add it to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat, then add the squash and bacon. Crumble in half of the fried sage leaves. Toss and add more salt to taste. If the mixture looks dry, add some of the remaining cooking water. Scrape the pasta into a serving bowl and top with the remaining whole sage leaves, a sprinkle of black pepper and some Parmesan.