Bacon and Butternut Pasta

By á-42947

Ingredients

• 5 cups 1/2 inch cubed peeled, butternut squash
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• cooking spray
• 12 oz uncooked ziti, campanile or other short pasta
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 tsp salt (divided)
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 cups fat free lower Na chicken broth, divided
• 2 TBSP all purpose white flour
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Details

Adapted from cookinglight.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine squash and oil in a large bowl, toss well. Arrange squash mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Cook pasta 7 minutes or until almost al dente, omitting salt and fat. Add kale to pan during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta mixture.
4. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon from pan and crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 tsp salt and garlic, cook 1 minute stirring occasionally.
5. Bring 1 3/4 cup broth to boil in a small sauce pan. Combine remaining 1/4 cup broth and flour into small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture, remaining 1/2 tsp slat, and pepper to broth. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in creme fraiche.
6. Combine squash, pasta mixture, bacon and onion mixture, and sauce into large bowl and toss gently. Place pasta mixture in 13 x9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.