About
How best to embrace the autumnal beauty of the season? Well, why not replace the tomato sauce on your pasta with a more fall-fabulous substitute? Butternut Squash Bake Pasta is tender pasta coated in a sunset orange sauce, with butternut squash as the base and rich butter, smoky Gouda cheese, tangy ricotta, and fragrant garlic. Topped with nutty parmesan cheese and crispy prosciutto, Butternut Squash Bake Pasta is cheesy bliss for fall lovers everywhere!
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, divided
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 (16-ounce) box pasta, such as spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon sage, freshly chopped
- 1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -On a baking sheet, add the butternut squash, the olive oil, the garlic, the thyme, 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, the red pepper flakes, the salt, and the black pepper and toss to coat.
Step 3 -Arrange the prosciutto around the butternut squash mixture.
Step 4 -Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 5 -Check the prosciuttoto make sure it is not getting too brown.
Step 6 -Bake again until the squash is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 7 -Set the prosciutto aside. In a food processor, add the butternut squash mixture and the ricotta, cover the processor, and purée the butternut squash mixture until smooth.
Step 8 -Season the butternut squash purée with the salt and the black pepper, as needed.
Step 9 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook it to al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 10 -Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the remainder.
Step 11 -In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and the sage and cook, while stirring, until the butter begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 12 -Add the butternut squash purée and 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the brown butter mixture and stir to combine.
Step 13 -Add the Gouda and 1/3 cup of the parmesan to the butternut squash mixture and stir until the cheese has melted.
Step 14 -Add the pasta to the butternut squash mixture and toss to combine.
Step 15 -Add the remaining reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. You may not need any or all of the remaining reserved pasta water.
Step 16 -Serve topped with the extra parmesan cheese, the remaining rosemary, and the prosciutto.
