About
When comfort food gets a healthy-ish twist, everyone wins! Ultimate Winter Harvest Pasta will help your pasta craving lean towards a little less guilt. When you combine al dente cavatappi pasta, tender butternut squash, fresh kale, crispy bacon, and (the surprise guest) pepitas in a deliciously seasoned white wine sauce, this dish is sure to be a people-pleaser. Cozy up to this Ultimate Winter Harvest Pasta for a bowl full of amazing flavors. It's so good!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces thick-cut bacon
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups lacinato kale, torn into 1-inch-wide pieces and lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons pepitas
- 12 ounces cavatappi or orecchiette pasta
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- fresh parsley, to taste, chopped, for garnish
- parmesan or Romano cheese, to taste, shredded, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -Line an 18x26-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3 -In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until it is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 -Place the cooked bacon on a paper-towel-lined plate and let it drain and cool. Discard the bacon grease.
Step 5 -Chop the cooled bacon into bite-size pieces. Set it aside.
Step 6 -In a large bowl, add the butternut squash and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss to combine. Evenly spread the cubes out on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7 -Roast the butternut squash, stirring every 10 minutes, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 8 -In a clean, large bowl, add the kale, the pepitas, and 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss to combine.
Step 9 -Carefully transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and stir the butternut squash.
Step 10 -Sprinkle the kale mixture over the butternut squash and roast until the kale is slightly crispy and the butternut squash is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Step 11 -While the squash mixture is baking, in a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the cavatappi to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a clean large bowl.
Step 12 -In the same large skillet used for the bacon, over medium heat, heat the remaining olive oil.
Step 13 -Add the garlic to the heated olive oil and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 14 -Add the salt, the black pepper, the red pepper flakes, and the white wine to the garlic mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 15 -Add the butter to the garlic mixture and heat, stirring occasionally, until it has melted.
Step 16 -In a clean large bowl, add the cooked pasta, the butternut squash mixture, the chopped bacon, and the sauce and lightly toss to combine.
Step 17 -Serve the pasta mixture garnished with the parsley and the parmesan cheese.
