Squash September is slowly drawing to a close, and we only have a few days left to squeeze out as many squash-filled recipes as we can! I can’t believe how fast his month has flown by…I feel like this whole year has gone by in a flash. Wow. Time flies when you’re having fun, eh?
This recipe is a casserole, which is the food item that I identify the most with. Blame it on my Texas roots, but I think casseroles are the perfect cure-all for all of your ills. I love making casseroles because I can take the leftovers to work for lunch for *almost* the whole week, and they reheat sooooo well.
The butternut squash fits into this dish perfectly, along with the sage and brussels sprouts and bacon. I used cavatappi pasta, which is my favorite spiral pasta, but you can use macaroni or fusilli if you can’t find any. I ate this pasta as a main course, but if there’s not enough protein in it for you, you can easily eat it as a side dish or add some cubed chicken breasts for more protein!
Baked Butternut Pasta
Butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, bacon and sage come together in this baked pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 4 oz. bacon, diced
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 1 TBS. olive oil
- 1 butternut squash
- 6-7 Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 6 sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 16 oz. cavatappi or spiral pasta
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup plain, dried bread crumbs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. In bacon drippings, cook shallots and mushrooms for 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Transfer shallots and mushrooms to a bowl.
- In same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat (unless there is enough bacon grease left to saute veggies with). Add squash and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add Brussels sprouts, sage, and broth; cook, covered for 10-13 more minutes until veggies are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a boiling pot of water according to package instructions. Cook until al dente or about 2 minutes less than package instructs. Drain pasta and return to pot.
- In large skillet of veggies, stir in milk and heat through, about 1 minute. Add veggie mixture, bacon, cooked shallots and mushrooms and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to pasta. Toss pasta mixture until well combined. Spoon pasta into 3 quart baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is hot and breadcrumbs are golden.
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet to plate lined with paper-towels to drain.
Add shallots and mushrooms to bacon drippings and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
In same skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium heat (unless enough bacon grease remains to saute veggies). Add butternut squash and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add Brussels sprouts, sage, and chicken broth; cook, covered 10-13 minutes or until veggies are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Stir milk into skillet with the veggies and heat through. Make pasta according to package directions, cooking until al dente or 2 minutes less than package instructs. Drain and return to pot.
Add squash mixture, bacon, cooked shallots & mushrooms, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan to pasta in saucepot; toss until well mixed.
Spoon mixture into 3 quart baking dish and top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until center is hot and top is golden brown.
Enjoy!
-Leen
leencuisine.com 
Looks delicious…
Thanks! It was different but really good.
This sounds very delicious!!
Thank you 🙂
I looooove butternut squash this looks bomb, girl!
I just wish it wasn’t so hard to cut into! I love it too!
Cook it longer, it’ll soften like a potato