Creamy Baked Rigatoni With Butternut Squash + Goat Cheese
- 1 butternut squash medium, peeled, seeds removed, and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound dried rigatoni
- 3 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces, I find it easiest to use scissors, optional
- 2 onions medium, cut in half then sliced thinly crosswise
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk any kind, I used skim, which considerably lightens up the dish
- pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup sage leaves loosely packed fresh, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
- kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss squash cubes with oil, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet; season with salt. Bake until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove the squash from the oven to cool, and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. While the squash is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta as directed; drain well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towel. Pour out all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat - enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onions, sprinkle with sugar, and cook over medium-high heat until tender and deeply caramelized, stirring occasionally (about 20 minutes). Stir in balsamic vinegar; set aside.
- Make the sauce. While onions are caramelizing, melt butter in separate medium saucepan over medium heat, cooking until butter smells fragrantly nutty and is a warm brown color. Be careful not to burn the butter - burned brown butter tastes pretty terrible. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Very slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat until sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- In a very large bowl, toss the pasta with the sauce, roasted squash, bacon, caramelized onions, goat cheese and chopped sage leaves. Transfer to a large baking dish (I used a 13 x 9 inch Pyrex dish), and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees until edges are crispy and breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let sit a few minutes, then serve. Creamy pasta dishes like this pair nicely with a lightly-dressed green salad.
butternut, olive oil, rigatoni, bacon, onions, sugar, balsamic vinegar, butter, flour, milk, pepper, nutmeg, goat cheese, sage, fresh breadcrumbs, kosher salt
Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Creamy-Baked-Rigatoni-with-Butternut-Squash-_-Goat-Cheese-1303814 (may not work)