Butternut Squash Pasta

~The first time I had butternut squash was at the Wolfgang Puck Café; a fine puree of natural fall sweetness swirled with red bell pepper sauce. While I appreciated the flavors and colors, it still resembled baby food. Many of my favorite foods tend to be contrast of textures and flavors that play on the palate. I had no intention of redoing the soup. However, the squash caught my attention. Why do I see something ‘butternut’ on menus everywhere? Why is it that every autumn, food magazines will invariably include some variation of butternut squash stuffed pasta? Making fresh pasta is a bit too involved for me, but I did like the idea of squash and pasta. 

Ingredients:

1lb or ½ butternut squash- peeled, seeded, and cubed

8 oz uncooked bacon- diced

1 small onion- finely diced

6 cloves garlic- minced

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup fresh cream

3 fresh sage leaves- minced

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

8 oz uncooked rotini, farfalle, or small shell pasta

salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente. Add a dash of salt while cooking to flavor pasta. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and reserve pasta water.
2. While pasta is cooking, warm a large sauté pan or stock pot on medium heat. Cook bacon for approximately 2min or until translucent.
3. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 1min. Add butternut squash and ½ cup pasta water. Mix thoroughly. Lower heat and cover to let simmer. Cook for approximately 8min or until squash is tender.  
4. Add cooked pasta to pan and toss. Add Parmesan, nutmeg, cream, and sage. If bottom of pan seems a bit dry, add more pasta water. Cover for 2min to let the flavors meld into pasta. 
5. Toss, taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. If you prefer it to be more salty, add more Parmesan. Add fresh ground pepper before serving.