Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

Ingredients
6 ounces center-cut bacon, cut into ¹⁄₄-inch pieces
8 large fresh sage leaves, whole, plus 1 tablespoon, minced
2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄₂-inch dice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 green onions, sliced thin
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 pound penne
¹⁄₄ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
¹⁄₃ cup pine nuts, toasted (Toast in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant and starting to colour.) 

Instructions
1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Add whole sage leave and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl, reserving bacon fat and bacon-sage mixture separately.

2. Return skillet to high heat, add 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat (adding olive oil if necessary) and heat until shimmering. Add squash in even layer and cook, without stirring, until beginning to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add butter and allow to melt, about 30 seconds. Add green onions, nutmeg, sugar, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, ³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper, and minced sage; cook, stirring occasionally, until green onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer; continue to cook until squash is tender, 1 to 3 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta and transfer back to Dutch oven.

4. Add squash mixture to pasta; stir in Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and reserved bacon-sage mixture, and pine nuts.  Serve with additional Parmesan if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual.  Art love butternut squash and pasta so I picked this recipe to make just for him.  Sadly, I was foiled by the weather since he is stuck in sunny Arizona while Lance and I are eating butternut squash pasta in snowy Maryland.  It was, however, delicious. 

I recommend toasting the pine nuts in the skillet before you cook the bacon. 

Shown here with Roast Beef Tenderloin with Shallot and Parsley Butter.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009