Butternut Squash Penne With Chicken Bacon And Spinach Recipes

PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta, squash and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until heated through,1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan, then stir in enough of the remaining cooking water to loosen. Stir in the oregano and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PENNE WITH CHICKEN, BACON AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 pan liberally with non-stick spray. Start a pot of 5 qt water with liberal salt for the penne.
• Cook bacon until crisp over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Drain bacon over paper towels and reserve 3 TBSP fat in pan.
• Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Cook chicken breast pieces in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. Reserve chicken and tent with foil.
• Add enough olive oil to coat pan; add squash, salt, pepper and sage. Cover pan and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until squash is semi-soft. Add onion and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, and spinach to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted, 3-4 minutes.
• Do not cook your penne until al dente; it will continue to cook in the oven. Only cook for about 7 minutes.
• In a seperate saucepan cook flour over medium heat, gradually adding milk and whisking continuously until boiling. Boil for two minutes or until thickened; remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until melted.
• Add flour/milk/cheese mixture to pasta; add pasta to squash mixture. Stir in the cooked chicken and crumbled bacon. Add more milk if mixture is too thick. Spread mixture into 13x9 pan; sprinkle more cheese on top if desired. Cook in oven 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbling. Let cool for 10-15 minutes; serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SPINACH & GOAT CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• 1. For the pastry, mix the flour, polenta and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, add 50g of the grated Parmesan and mix with a table knife until the mixture comes together. Measure out 4 tbsp cold water and add a little at a time until the dough just sticks together (you may not need all the water). Knead it gently until it forms a ball, wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.
• 2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Scatter the sliced butternut squash over 2 or 3 large roasting trays, drizzle with half the olive oil, scatter over the cumin seeds, ras el hanout and chilli flakes, and season well with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, add the sliced onions and garlic to another roasting tin with the rest of the olive oil. Halfway through cooking the squash, add the onions to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the squash and onions from the oven, squeeze out the garlic from their skins, mash the roasted garlic into the onions and leave to cool slightly.
• 4. Place the spinach in a colander over the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Refresh under cold water, then squeeze dry to remove all the excess water. Chop the spinach, put into a bowl, season and mix with the ricotta, then set aside.
• 5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use it to line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin. Add half the spinach mixture in a layer, then distribute half the roasted squash on top of that. Scatter with half the pine nuts, then half the goat's cheese. Repeat with the rest of the spinach mixture, butternut squash, pine nuts and goat's cheese. Finally, add the garlicky onions in a layer on top.
• 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rest of the pastry, then lay on top of the pie, pushing in the edges to seal well. Make a hole in the middle of the pie and decorate the top with leaves made from any leftover pastry. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, scatter with the rest of the Parmesan and chill for 20 minutes.
• 7. Cover with cling film and foil and freeze, uncooked, for up to 1 month.
• 8. When ready to eat, remove the foil and cling film and defrost fully in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown on top. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before serving.
• Nutritional info.
• Per serving (based on 10): 564kcals, 32.2g fat (15.5g saturated), 19.6g protein, 52.3g carbs, 12.8g sugar, 1.1g salt.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F Place the squash, onion, and garlic into a large roasting tin, drizzle well with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly caramelized, tossing from time to time.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, or until al dente, and drain. Stir the Gruyère and heavy cream into the vegetables to make a thick sauce. Add the sage leaves.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan.