Baked butternut squash pasta is a creamy, cheesy, comforting dish that is full of all the flavors of fall. The butternut squash and sage sauce is tossed with penne pasta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano, and layered between more sauce before being baked until melty.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound penne or rigatoni, ziti, etc.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 ounces tomato paste
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
5 cups butternut squash cubed
¼ cup sage chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
½ pound mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400f and set rack to the middle level. Saute onion in the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat until soft (about 5 minutes).
Add in the tomato paste, chicken stock, butternut squash, chopped sage, salt, pepper, and cook partially covered over medium heat until the squash is fork-tender (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water to very al dente. About 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
In a large bowl add half of the butternut squash sauce and the pasta. Add in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and â…”’s of the shredded mozzarella. Gently mix together.
Place a layer of butternut squash sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13″ baking dish. Add the pasta and top with the remaining sauce and the remaining shredded mozzarella.
Cover with parchment paper then foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the covering and cook for 10 more minutes. If you want the cheese browned broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully to avoid burning. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes:
– When cooking the sauce keep the lid slightly cracked to encourage a bit of evaporation and to help the hard squash soften more quickly.
– Covering the pasta with a layer of parchment paper, then foil, prevents the cheese from sticking. If you don’t have parchment paper try wiping a bit of oil onto the foil to prevent sticking.
– Fried sage leaves can be used as a garnish for a nice visual effect. To cook, just fry the sage leaves for 60-90 seconds in a ¼” layer of hot olive oil.
