An Elegant Meal: Butternut Squash & Bacon Pasta

Feeling classy? If you have some extra time to cook, I guarantee this recipe will not disappoint. It’s great to make on weekends when the pressure of schoolwork isn’t looming, and it also works like a charm to impress that special someone.

By Carly

For a two-person dish, you need ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp rosemary (fresh is best, but dried works, too), one small butternut squash, cooking spray, 2-3 slices of bacon, ½ c onions or shallots, 8 oz uncooked pasta, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 c milk, and ½ c shredded parmesan or asiago cheese.

First, heat the oven to 425. Prepare your butternut squash by halving it lengthwise and scooping out the seeds with a spoon.

Coat a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray, then lay the squash halves, cut side up, on the sheet. Sprinkle them with the salt, the pepper, and the rosemary. Bake the squash for an hour. Don’t turn off the oven when it’s done, because you’ll need it again soon.

If you’re short on time, you can also peel and cube the squash before you bake it. You want cubes of about 1” all around. Scatter the cubes on the baking sheet, coat with the above mixture, and cook for 30-45 minutes.

When the squash is done, it should be soft and dark, like this:

While you wait for it to cool, chop the onions or shallots…

… and fry the bacon.

Sauté the onions in the bacon grease (you can drain a little bit of grease off if there’s really a lot in the pan). Keep the onions cooking for 5-8 minutes, until they soften and start to brown.

Also, put your pasta on to boil. Cook it as you normally would, until it’s soft. While the onions are browning, peel and chop your squash (if you didn’t before you put it in the oven). It should be soft… if it isn’t, you may need to cook it for a few more minutes.

Crumble the bacon slices into small pieces, and mix them in a bowl with the squash cubes and browned onions.

When your pasta is done cooking, drain it.

Whisk your 2 tablespoons of flour and cup of milk together in a bowl, then put them in a pot over low heat. Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture thickens. You’ll need to stir it often if not constantly.

Remove your milk mixture from the heat and add your cheese, stirring until it melts. Put the pasta in the pot and stir that in, too, until everything is combined.

Next, find a 1-quart baking dish. Coat it lightly with cooking spray, then pour the pasta mixture into the bottom of it. Spoon the squash mixture on top, and divide it evenly through the dish. Finally, sprinkle your masterpiece with cheese.

Bake until the cheese on top is melted, about 10-15 minutes, and serve to people you like a lot (including yourself, obviously). Enjoy!