Recipe: Baked Penne w/Butternut Squash, Ricotta, Bacon, & Walnuts

This is a delicious Autumn themed meal and very filling! The walnuts add a nice flavor and crunch while the bacon… is bacon! Smokey and AWESOME!

Ingredients

• 2 LBS butternut squash, cubed and peeled
• 5 C whole-wheat penne, cooked
• 1 1/4 C milk (I used 2%)
• 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/3 C Parmesan cheese, grated (I use REAL Parmesan Reggiano)
• 1/4 C walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 4 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• kosher salt to taste (the type of salt I use)
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 TSP fresh thyme leaves, chopped (you could also use dried)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a cookie (baking) sheet and a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Place squash on baking sheet; sprinkle salt and grind pepper over the squash and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash until all the cubes are broken up but not totally smooth. I use a potato masher for this NOT a hand-mixer.

3. In a large saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash, chopped bacon, and the fresh thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 20 minutes; remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Makes about 1 cup per serving and this recipe makes 8 servings. You can eliminate the bacon to make this dish vegetarian as well!