Comforting butternut squash-pasta casserole, Recipe Comforting butternut squash-pasta casserole

Comforting butternut squash-pasta casserole

Posted the 15/10/2008 16:55:00 By CookiePie (Visit website)

Even though we're enjoying quite the warm Indian summer here in NYC, I'm still craving all sorts of fall flavors -- apples, pumpkin, butternut squash, etc. So when it came time to make dinner the other night, taking some inspiration from this delicious-looking dish on the yummy blog The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, I knew that butternut squash and pasta and baking would all be involved.

I found a nice-looking recipe on Cooking Light for a butternut squash and parsnip baked pasta, but it didn't look like it had quite enough going on, so I modified it, adding some of the tasty goat cheese we had in the fridge, upping the amount of veggies (and adding spinach), using egg noodles instead of penne, etc.

We liked this dish a lot, though it could have stood some more cheese, and more spinach, and perhaps some sauteed mushrooms as well. We had leftovers the next night -- I cut up some leftover turkey meatloaf in mine, while Mark opted to add some soy chorizo from Trader Joe's to his. It worked very well as leftovers.

Enjoy!

Oh, and before I share the recipe, a little news... I seem to have gotten myself all knocked up! Mark and I are very excited -- it's our first, so we're full of wonder (and fear!) as well as joy. I'm 4 months along, so our little bundle is due at the end of March. Yay!

Butternut Squash and Parsnip Baked Pasta
Serves 4

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 cups chopped parsnip
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed well, chopped
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 oz. goat cheese
Cooking spray
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Warm 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add squash and parsnip; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in sage, nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper; remove from heat. Scrape vegetable mixture into a large bowl.

2. Warm another 1/2 Tbsp. oil in same skillet. Saute spinach until wilted. Pour into a colander and squeeze to remove excess water. Stir into bowl with squash mixture. (If I did this again, I would use 2 bunches of spinach instead of 1, and I'd saute a bunch of sliced crimini mushrooms until lightly browned and add that to the veggie mixture too.)

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, Combine squash mixture, pasta, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in baking dish, tossing gently to combine. Crumble goat cheese over the mixture and fold it in.

4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Add milk; cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until thickened, whisking constantly. Gradually add reserved 1/2 cup of cooking liquid; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (add more if necessary). Season sauce with salt and pepper.

5. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.