Roasted Red Onion and Squash Pasta

This recipe is perfect for the approaching fall season.  Last week we got the first hard squashes in our CSA box and I know there will be more to come.  I didn't really have butternut squash until last year when we started getting them from our farm.  I was missing out.  In this recipe it's the star and it's delicious.  It turns into a creamy, delicious consistency and makes for a healthy meal.  I used whole wheat pasta, which played well with the nutty flavor of the squash.  This also is a good recipe for freezing.  It made a ton of pasta (I doubled the recipe) and we divided it up into individual portions and froze for quick lunches later on.  It reheated really well and tasted just as delicious!  The only change I made was to use parmesan cheese instead of fontina since we always have parmesan on hand.  We had everything for this meal on hand actually, which makes it a handy recipe to have in your back pocket for busy weeks. 

Roasted Red Onion and Squash Pasta

from Everyday Food iPad edition, January/February 2011

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium red onions, cut into 6 wedges each, layers separated
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 pound short ridged pasta, I used penne

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet toss onions, squash, sage and oil until all the vegetables are well coated.  Season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer.  Roast until tender and turning brown, about 20 minutes.  Stir vegetables halfway though.
• While veggies roast, put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, salt water and add pasta.  Cook according to package directions.  Save 1/2 cup of pasta water.  When pasta is cooked, drain and place in a large bowl.  When veggies are done, add them to the pasta and stir to combine.  Add the 1/2 cup of pasta water as needed to create a sauce that coats pasta.  Top with cheese and enjoy!