Lunch / Dinner
Roasted Butternut Squash & Whole-Wheat Penne
With caramelized squash, bacon, and Parmesan, this perfect pasta meal puts you just 30 minutes away from dinner nirvana! When it comes to quick and easy weeknight meals, pasta is a go-to option. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be as predictable as noodles and marinara — no matter how busy your schedule. Without adding difficult-to-find ingredients or even much preparation time, you can effortlessly take your pasta dinner from ordinary to extraordinary.
That’s because pasta is an ideal canvas for bringing different flavors together. With this hearty, autumninspired recipe, that involves tossing penne with just a few simple ingredients, like roasted butternut squash and crisp bacon. Accentuate the robust fall flavors by finishing off the dish with Parmesan, fresh sage, and balsamic vinegar. This entrée is so quick to prepare because you can easily roast the squash, boil the pasta, and cook the bacon all at once.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°.
Toss squash with oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a baking sheet. Roast squash until tender and beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting.
Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain, reserving ½–1 cup pasta water.
Cook bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; discard drippings. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute.
Add roasted squash, penne, and bacon to pan, tossing to combine and heat through. Add pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, until it loosely coats the pasta.
Off heat, toss pasta with Parmesan and sage. Drizzle servings with balsamic vinegar.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 659
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 44%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 78mg 26%
Sodium 1202mg 50%
Carbs 57g 19%
Protein 39g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.