I love the flavors of fall; pumpkin, squash, apples and pears. Butternut squash has been in our CSA bag the past couple of weeks. Butternut squash is so versatile. It can be sweet or savory and easily makes for a hearty meal. I had a log of honey goat cheese that needed to be used up. This recipe gave me the opportunity to do just that. To offset some of the sweetness of the cheese, I added about 1/2 pound of Italian Sausage to this dish. I didn't have any walnuts, so omitted those. This dish just defines comfort food!
What's your favorite fall food?
Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese
Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentis
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.
I am linking this to On The Menu Monday, Make It Pretty Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.