Pasta Al Forno with Butternut Squash (or Pumpkin)

I came across this recipe on the Food52 blog. Doesn’t it sound amazing? Now, check out the ingredients. Doesn’t it sound like a heart attack?

We lightened it up a little and came up with this decadent, yet delicate creation. We know it doesn’t look particularly delicious. The mustard yellow hue is a bit off-putting. And when you place a spoon in the pasta to serve it, it makes a dense gloopy sound that’s also rather off-putting. BUT, trust us. This is one tasty fall dish!

A 3 to 4 pound butternut squash or cheese pumpkin (we used butternut squash)

Olive oil

4 pieces of turkey bacon, cooked until crispy and broken into bits

16 oz. brown rice penne pasta

1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

¾ cup fat-free half and half

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded fontina cheese

2 tbsp. fat-free ricotta cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

walnut halves (about a cup), toasted

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line two baking sheets with foil.

2. Cut squash into equally thick slabs (leave the skin on) and place on the baking sheets. Drizzle the squash lightly with olive oil and bake until the squash is tender and slightly caramelized, about 1 hour. Set aside until it’s cool enough to handle.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until it’s under-done (not even al dente), about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.

4. Jack the oven up to 500º.

5. Cut the squash away from the skin and measure out 2 cups of squash, cut into chunks. Combine the squash chunks with the Greek yogurt and half and half in a blender. Puree until smooth.

6. Combine the squash puree with the cheeses, sage and bacon in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

7. Cut the rest of the squash into chunks and gently fold the squash chunks and the penne into the slop in the large bowl. (Remember: it tastes delicious!)

8. Spread the pasta, squash, etc evenly into a lasagna pan or casserole dish and bake for 7-10 minutes, until the top layer of pasta starts to brown and the bottom layer is tender.

9. Top each serving with toasted walnuts.