Bacon Butternut Squash Pasta Food

BACON BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Spread butternut squash in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil until evenly coated and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 28 to 30 minutes.
• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and return to pot.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain bacon but reserve bacon fat in the pan. Add sage to the pan and fry until crispy, about 1 minute per side. Turn off heat and wipe skillet clean.
• Add remaining tablespoon olive oil. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a simmer, then stir in Parmesan and cooked fettuccine. Add fontina and toss until cheese is melted and sauce coats the pasta. Stir in pasta water to loosen sauce if needed. Add butternut squash and bacon and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top each serving with a piece of sage and more Parmesan (if desired).

CREAMY BACON AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large rimmed pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, toss squash, oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Spread in pan; roast 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add onion, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• Add broth and cream to onions in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Continue to cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in reserved bacon, roasted squash, cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. Transfer to serving dishes; garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH BACON AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
• Add the butternut squash to a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top and season with red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then spread the squash into an even layer and bake for 15 minutes.
• While the butternut squash bakes, in a small bowl, toss the red onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• After the squash has cooked for 15 minutes, give it a stir and push it to one side of the baking sheet to make room for the onion and bacon, trying to keep the squash in one layer. Add the red onion to the pan, then lay the strips of bacon in a single layer next to the onion.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 30 minutes and cook, stirring the squash and onion after about 15 minute. The bacon should be crisp and the vegetables cooked through and beginning to caramelize at the edges. (They don't have to be super golden brown, but a little color is nice.)
• Just before the vegetables and bacon are done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot to keep warm if necessary.
• When the vegetables are tender and the bacon crispy, take the baking sheet out of the oven and carefully transfer the bacon to a cutting board. Coarsely chop the bacon.
• Add the butternut squash, onions and any bacon fat to the pot with the pasta. Add about 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup pasta water to the pot and stir everything until well combined. You want the squash to break down a bit and coat the pasta; add more pasta water as necessary to coat the pasta with the squash and cheese.
• Stir in half the chopped bacon, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the pasta among bowls or plates. Top with chives, parsley, black pepper and the remaining Parmesan and bacon. Serve immediately.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON ONE-POT PASTA

Steps:

• Using a fork, poke a few holes in skin of squash. Place the entire squash in the microwave and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Remove squash using a towel or oven mitts and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place squash on cutting board and hold warm squash with an oven mitt (or latex dishwashing glove) and slice squash in half; scoop out seeds.
• Place one squash half face down on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high-power, 3 to 5 minutes. Reserve second squash half for another use.
• Scoop cooked squash flesh out of shell and place in a blender or food processor and blend with about 3 tablespoons water until smooth; set aside. Makes about 11/2 cups puree.
• In a large pot, cook penne 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 the same large pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until browned. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving bacon fat (about 1 tablespoon) in the pot.
• Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the bacon fat. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. 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. Add pasta and reserved bacon and toss gently. Serve with additional shredded cheese if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PENNE WITH CHICKEN, BACON AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 pan liberally with non-stick spray. Start a pot of 5 qt water with liberal salt for the penne.
• Cook bacon until crisp over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Drain bacon over paper towels and reserve 3 TBSP fat in pan.
• Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Cook chicken breast pieces in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. Reserve chicken and tent with foil.
• Add enough olive oil to coat pan; add squash, salt, pepper and sage. Cover pan and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until squash is semi-soft. Add onion and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, and spinach to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted, 3-4 minutes.
• Do not cook your penne until al dente; it will continue to cook in the oven. Only cook for about 7 minutes.
• In a seperate saucepan cook flour over medium heat, gradually adding milk and whisking continuously until boiling. Boil for two minutes or until thickened; remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until melted.
• Add flour/milk/cheese mixture to pasta; add pasta to squash mixture. Stir in the cooked chicken and crumbled bacon. Add more milk if mixture is too thick. Spread mixture into 13x9 pan; sprinkle more cheese on top if desired. Cook in oven 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbling. Let cool for 10-15 minutes; serve.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON PASTA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper.
• Lay the squash out on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture.
• Bake in a 425° oven for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
• Remove squash from oven and increase oven temp to 450°.
• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.
• Remove bacon from pan; discard all but 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in skillet; crumble bacon and set aside.
• Increase heat to medium-high; add shallots to skillet; stir/saute for 8 minutes or until tender.
• Combine squash, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
• Prepare pasta by following the package directions; drain well.
• Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Gradually add in milk, stirring constantly using a whisk; bring to a boil.
• Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
• Remove pan from heat; add in provolone cheese; stir until cheese melts.
• Add pasta to cheese mixture; toss well to combine.
• Spoon pasta mixture into an 11x7 inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture.
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
• Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH BACON AND CRISPY SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle liberally with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss and roast until soft and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Place the diced bacon in a medium nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Cook until crispy and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place in a medium bowl lined with a paper towel.
• Add the pasta and a generous amount of salt to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Add the sage leaves to the rendered bacon fat in the skillet, return to medium heat, and fry until the leaves are crispy, about 1 minute. Transfer the leaves to a small plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the reserved bacon fat and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the goat cheese and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in the cream, Parmesan, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne and black pepper to taste. Keep warm on low heat.
• Once the pasta is drained, add it to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat, then add the squash and bacon. Crumble in half of the fried sage leaves. Toss and add more salt to taste. If the mixture looks dry, add some of the remaining cooking water. Scrape the pasta into a serving bowl and top with the remaining whole sage leaves, a sprinkle of black pepper and some Parmesan.

BUTTERNUT & BACON FUSILLI

Steps:

• Tip the pancetta into a large frying pan set over a medium heat and cook for 5-8 mins until really crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the oil to the pan, along with the squash, rosemary, chilli and garlic. Cover and cook for 25 mins, stirring now and then, until the squash is tender. Season well, and gently crush some of the butternut squash with the back of a spoon.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil 15 mins before the squash is ready, and cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Add 1-2 ladles of pasta water to the squash and let it bubble for a few mins. Tip in the drained pasta and toss together. Stir through the spinach, then divide between plates. Sprinkle over the pancetta, some grated Parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper.