This was so good, and it makes a huge amount so there will be leftovers (maybe!). The recipe could be easily halved, too.
It does take a while to put together, so I like to do it earlier in the afternoon, place in the refrigerator, then reheat (double the final baking time, in that case).
Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Turkey Bacon
Serves 10
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ¾ pound butternut squash (approximately 36 ounces after peeling and removing seeds)
10 slices turkey bacon
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 3/4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 ounces frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped coarsely
16 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fat-free milk (I use the thicker "super skim" type)
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 ounces shredded smoked Gouda (about 1 ¼ cups)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (optional), or hot pepper sauce
3 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Chop squash into 3/4" cubes.
Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper, spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned (about halfway through, loosen and stir with a metal spatula).
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and chop. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the drippings left in the pan and return heat to medium. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté for another minute, then add in the spinach and turkey bacon; set aside.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
While pasta is cooking, place the flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add one half of the milk, whisking briskly until no lumps remain. Slowly add the remaining milk and the broth, whisking until smooth. Turn heat to medium and whisk constantly until the mixture boils, then cook for one additional minute or until the mixture is thickened a bit.
Turn off heat and add smoked Gouda, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Add fresh sage and optional hot pepper. Add pasta and the spinach-bacon mixture to the cheese sauce, combine well, then gently fold in the squash mixture (if you have a smaller Dutch oven, you may need to transfer the cheese sauce mixture to a large mixing bowl in order to be able to easily incorporate the pasta and other ingredients).
Spoon into a 5-quart casserole dish which has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese.
Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
Liberally adapted from Cooking Light, MARCH 2004
Per serving: 385 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat (5g Saturated); (26% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 36mg Cholesterol; 686mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates
It does take a while to put together, so I like to do it earlier in the afternoon, place in the refrigerator, then reheat (double the final baking time, in that case).
Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Turkey Bacon
Serves 10
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ¾ pound butternut squash (approximately 36 ounces after peeling and removing seeds)
10 slices turkey bacon
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 3/4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 ounces frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped coarsely
16 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fat-free milk (I use the thicker "super skim" type)
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 ounces shredded smoked Gouda (about 1 ¼ cups)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (optional), or hot pepper sauce
3 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Chop squash into 3/4" cubes.
Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper, spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned (about halfway through, loosen and stir with a metal spatula).
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and chop. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the drippings left in the pan and return heat to medium. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté for another minute, then add in the spinach and turkey bacon; set aside.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
While pasta is cooking, place the flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add one half of the milk, whisking briskly until no lumps remain. Slowly add the remaining milk and the broth, whisking until smooth. Turn heat to medium and whisk constantly until the mixture boils, then cook for one additional minute or until the mixture is thickened a bit.
Turn off heat and add smoked Gouda, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Add fresh sage and optional hot pepper. Add pasta and the spinach-bacon mixture to the cheese sauce, combine well, then gently fold in the squash mixture (if you have a smaller Dutch oven, you may need to transfer the cheese sauce mixture to a large mixing bowl in order to be able to easily incorporate the pasta and other ingredients).
Spoon into a 5-quart casserole dish which has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese.
Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
Liberally adapted from Cooking Light, MARCH 2004
Per serving: 385 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat (5g Saturated); (26% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 36mg Cholesterol; 686mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates