Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

I found this recipe on cooking light and just love it. I read through the comments before I made it. A lot of the comments said it was bland and not easy to make as a weeknight meal. After making this recipe I have to disagree. You will see below why I disagree. I will give you some time saving tips! See the original recipe for at (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=592277).

The recipe below is modified to my specifications!


3/4 teaspoon salt, divided ( I use no salt since I am on a sodium restricted diet)
teaspoon or more of dried rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
dash of french four spice
dash of allspice
dash of crushed red pepper
2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
olive oil
3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (**see note below**)
Cooking spray
6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices
1 shallot thinly sliced
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta (tube-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups organic 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced fat provolone cheese
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

**Note: if you go to Harris Teeter and look in the produce section you will discover a time saver! They sell a 2 pound package of peeled and cubed butternut squash. This will save lots of time. Just as good. It is more than you need for this recipe but you can have the remainder another night b/c you can never have too many fresh vegetables in your diet!**

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine salt, rosemary,french four spice, allspice, olive oil, and black pepper in a bowl. Toss squash in spice and oil mixture. Bake at 350° for approximately 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Cut bacon with kitchen shears into pieces and cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside on paper towels to remove excess grease. Reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings or olive oil in pan Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallot mixture; set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Pasta can be cooked ahead of time if you would like.

Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Add a dash of crushed red pepper and stir. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.



Yield: 5 servings

CALORIES 469 (28% from fat); FAT 14.4g (sat 7.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 0.9g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 443mg; CARBOHYDRATE 66.6g; SODIUM 849mg; PROTEIN 22.1g; FIBER 6.8g