I’ve always been a sucker for pasta, I just love everything about it. The different pastas, different sauces, from lasagna to Alfredo, I love it all! The problem with pasta is it’s so high in calories that if I’m going to eat it, I want it to be completely worth it and packed with healthy vegetables so I’m actually full when I’m done eating (yes, 1 serving of pasta is tiny!). That’s where this dish comes in. I had a squash in my pantry and no idea what to do with it so I started pondering pasta ideas. What I didn’t expect was how delicious the end result would be!
This recipe creates a pasta dish with mushrooms, kale, and butternut squash packed with flavor thanks to the garlic and bacon. We then coat it all with a creamy but light goat cheese sauce, the perfect companion to the fresh sage and rosemary. It cooks quickly so make sure to prep all your ingredients first.
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta shells medium sized
- 4 oz bacon diced small
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 12 oz portabella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 10 oz butternut squash
- 5 oz kale thinly sliced
- 1 cup half & half
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 3 oz onion thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp salt to taste
- ½ tsp pepper to taste
- 4 tsp butter
- 4 tsp all purpose flour
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve pasta water.
- Peel butternut squash and cut into ½" wide and 2" tall blocks then thinly slice on mandoline. Set aside.
- On medium high heat, cook bacon for about 1 minute, just until fat starts rendering. Add half the butter, garlic, onions, rosemary, sage, crushed red pepper and saute for 2 minutes or until onions start to turn translucent.
- Add mushrooms and remaining butter. Cook for 1 minute then add butternut squash and kale. Let cook for 2 minutes, adding pasta water if extra moisture is needed (about 1-1½oz). Sprinkle flour over vegetables and mix well. Add half & half, stirring constantly. Once half & half is heated through, add goat cheese and stir until completely melted. Add pasta and mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
