Butternut Squash and Bacon One-Pot Pasta

by Serena Ball in Healthy Recipes, September 24, 2015
http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2015/09/24/butternut-squash-and-bacon-one-pot-pasta/
As sweater season descends upon us, we usher hearty flavors into our kitchen. Pasta enveloped in a thick, rich sauce of butternut squash and bacon seems just right for this time of year.

This butternut Alfredo-style sauce is velvety-smooth and satisfying, but it’s far from heavy. In fact, it’s actually healthy. The dish packs 5 grams of fiber and a whopping 100 percent of your daily value for vitamin A. Yes, you will use a bit of bacon, but because you’re swapping out the butter you’d normally use to make the classic Alfredo sauce — and using the same amount of bacon fat instead — it’s basically a wash in terms of calories. Happily, the scant 1 tablespoon of bacon fat infuses the entire dish with smoky yumminess.

If you thought that was a cool trick, try this healthy hack: Microwave the butternut squash — whole — to soften the tough skin before slicing; you’ll save yourself from a potential knife injury. (Microwaving the squash also saves on cooking time, making this dish a fairly quick dinner fix.)

But the best part of the entire recipe might be this: There’s only one large pot to wash at the end.

Butternut Squash and Bacon One-Pot Pasta
Makes 6 to 7 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
13 ounces (3 1/2 cups or about 1 box) penne pasta*
2 pieces center-cut bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk, warmed 30 seconds in microwave
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:

Using a fork, poke a few holes in skin of squash. Place entire squash in microwave and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Remove squash using towel or oven mitts and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Place squash on cutting board and hold warm squash with oven mitt (or latex dishwashing glove) , slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place one squash half face-down on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high power in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes until soft. (Reserve second squash half for another use.)

Scoop cooked squash into a blender or food processor and puree with about 3 tablespoons water until smooth; set aside. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups puree.)

In a large pot, cook penne (whole-grain and regular white pasta together) 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 same large pot, brown bacon over medium-high heat. Remove bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving bacon fat (about 1 tablespoon).

Whisk flour into bacon fat over medium heat. Slowly whisk in warm milk and cook, stirring, until beginning to bubble. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until thick. 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. Gently toss in pasta and reserved bacon. Serve with additional shredded cheese if desired.

* For the best flavor and good nutrition, use half whole-grain and half regular white pasta.

Per serving (1/7 of recipe made with half whole-grain and half regular pasta without additional shredded cheese on top): Calories 285; Fat 6 g (Saturated 2 g); Sodium 336 mg; Carbohydrate 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Sugars 4 g; Protein 12 g



Serena Ball, MS, RD is a registered dietitian nutritionist. She blogs at TeaspoonOfSpice.com sharing tips and tricks to help readers find cooking shortcuts for making homemade, healthy and delicious meals. She develops recipes with moms and families in mind.

Read more at: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2015/09/24/butternut-squash-and-bacon-one-pot-pasta/?oc=linkback

12 New Ways to Use Butternut Squash

BY F&W Editors | POSTED September 29, 2015

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2015/09/29/12-new-ways-use-butternut-squash?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_fw 

Butternut Squash Pierogi

© Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Butternut squash is an iconic fall vegetable. Simply halved or cubed and roasted, it’s a perfect side dish for roasted chicken, tossed in a salad or pureed into a soup—but that’s not all it’s good for. Here, 12 new, out-of-the-box ways to cook with sweet and creamy butternut squash from wontons to sorbet.
1. Butternut Squash Turnovers 
These buttery squash turnovers make a perfect fall lunch alongside a big green salad.

2. Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash 

Prego® Pasta Sauce

www.Prego.com

Give Your Lasagna that Delicious

Taste w/ Prego®. Find Recipe Here!

Creamy mashed potatoes get a delicious sweetness and beautiful color from squash.
3. Buffalo Butternut Squash Matchsticks with a Blue Cheese–Celery Salad 
This dish is a neat spin on the classic flavor pairing of buffalo wings with a blue cheese dipping sauce.
4. Spiced Butternut Squash Sorbet 
For an easy, festive dessert, pair this golden sorbet with vanilla ice cream and gingersnaps.
5. Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tortilla 
This Spanish omelet is topped with thin slices of squash and spicy chorizo.
6. Butternut Squash Latkes with Chive Sour Cream 
Making these butternut squash latkes bite-size and topping each with a dollop of chive sour cream turns this Hanukkah staple into an elegant appetizer.
7. Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Puree 
Mashed butternut squash makes for a healthier, but still creamy take on classic, cheesy mac and cheese.
8. Butternut Squash–and-Sage Wontons 
These terrifically crisp wontons are filled with mashed butternut squash and roasted garlic.
9. Rice Pudding with Butternut Squash and Sweet Milk Tea 
The most unexpected ingredient in this not-too-sweet rice pudding: butternut squash. “I think it can work really well in dessert,” chef Hugh Acheson says.
10. Butternut Squash Rösti Cakes 
Adding shredded butternut squash to mini potato pancakes adds a touch of sweetness and a nice orange hue.
11. Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Pierogi 
Perfectly nutty and sweet roasted butternut squash makes a great pierogi filling.
12. Butternut Squash Lasagna 

© Ian Knauer

Roasting butternut squash makes for a tender and creamy sauce.

This past summer I managed to buy 18 Butternut squash at $0.50 each.

How to Break Down a Butternut Squash

Step 1

Cut off both ends and scoop the seeds out of the opening in the wide end with a spoon. I don't make such a big cut because I hate to waste a bite! I save the seeds for gardening/sharing and have also found the seeds to be quite tasty, too.

Step 2

Wearing an apron, hold the squash against your chest and remove the skin with a peeler, working toward you. Sometimes I also use a paring knife for tough spots.

Step 3

Cut the squash where the body becomes bulbous; halve each section lengthwise and dice. The beef chili used smaller pieces

http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/how-to-break-down-a-butternut-squash/pictures/page-3.html

Here are tons of amazing recipes or just eat it plain with real butter:)

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/squash/butternut-squash/

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/healthy-butternut-squash-recipes-00400000055219/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/butternut-squash/index.html

What I'm getting ready to make:)

Beef-and-Butternut Squash Chili

Ingredients

• Preparation
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped $
• 1 medium onion, chopped $
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) can chili beans
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels

1. Cook beef, bell pepper, and next 2 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven.
2. Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in corn, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.

Southern Living 
JANUARY 2006