My husband has never been thrilled about butternut squash. But one bite of this dish and his face lit up with a a big smile. The creaminess of the butternut squash sauce flavored with onion, garlic, bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese has a hint of heat in the background from red pepper. And the Brussels sprouts give it a hearty depth of flavor. The sauce clings to the rigatoni to become a silky, chewy delight in your mouth. I even saved and roasted the butternut squash seeds and sprinkled them on top for added crunch. This is a winning dish that you will love!
INGREDIENTS
- 6 oz.
bacon, sliced vertically into ¼ inch pieces
- 2
tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons
finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 bag
fresh Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly into shavings
- 1 2-lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded,
cut into ¾ inch pieces (about 6 cups). Save the seeds.
- 1
large sweet onion, chopped
- 3
cloves garlic, minced
- ½ t.
crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
- 16 oz.
uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 1 1/2
C. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Roasted
butternut squash seeds (See recipe below.)
RECIPE PREPARATION
- Brown
the bacon in a heated stew pot on medium high heat, reduce heat to medium,
stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted
spoon, transfer bacon to a medium sized bowl; set aside. Into the same pot
add up to 2 T. olive oil to make 2 T. of grease in the bottom. Add sage
and Brussels sprouts into the pot and toss to coat. Cover and cook on
medium heat for 3 minutes. Transfer the sprouts and sage to the bowl
containing the bacon. Set aside.
- Preheat
oven to 300° F.
- Roasted
butternut squash seeds: Rinse the saved butternut squash seeds in a sieve
under cold water and remove pulp. Place seeds on an oiled pie pan. Bake
for 30 min. to dry seeds. Coat seeds in a little olive oil and salt. Bake
for 20 minutes more. Remove from oven. Set aside.
- To the
stew pot, add a little more olive oil, if needed. Put in the onions,
crushed red pepper flakes, squash and garlic to the pot; season with salt
and pepper and cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until
onions are translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce
heat, and simmer until squash is soft 20-30 minutes. Turn off heat. Let
cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Pour back into the stew pot. Stir in 1 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Now
add in the reserved Brussels sprouts and bacon mixture. Stir to combine. Taste
and adjust for salt and freshly ground pepper, if needed.
· Preheat
oven to 350° F.
· Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally,
until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain, then
rinse with cold water.
· Pour ½ cup squash purée into a casserole dish or 13x9" baking
dish and spread to edges. Add pasta into the pot of remaining sauce and stir to
combine, then transfer contents into the baking dish. Top with ½ cup
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and
increase oven temperature to 425°. Continue to bake until top is darkened in spots
and sauce is bubbling, 15-20 minutes.
- Serve
pasta topped with roasted butternut squash seeds.
- DO AHEAD: Squash purée can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.