OK, so this recipe is really inspired by or let’s say heavily borrowed from a recipe that I saw on a Barilla Campanelle box years ago. I saw some Reggano Halloween Shaped Pasta at Aldi recently, and I thought the butternut squash sauce would hit the right color and flavor for fall.

I’m not fancy enough for pancetta, so I used bacon pieces, and I skipped the balsamic vinegar and added a dash of heavy cream because why not? I didn’t measure anything, but here’s what I did;

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Reganno Halloween Shaped Pasta (or whatever you have on hand, really).
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup bacon pieces
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 2 small butternut squash, cubed (It was about 8 cups)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Dash table blend to taste.

Method:

1. Sauté onions & bacon pieces in the oil on medium-high heat until crispy. Use your seasonings here.
2. Add the butternut squash and brown it up a bit. Seasonings again.
3. Add in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer for 10 to 15-ish minutes or until the squash gets soft.
5. Process half of the sauce in the blender until smooth. (I used an immersion blender and did half of the sautee pan.)
6. Add the heavy cream and give it a stir.
7. Cook pasta according to directions and toss with or top with the sauce.

Notes:

• I should have added some more crisped up bacon at the end.
• Of course you could use & cook bacon or pancetta here. Or no meat.
• Try the OG with the vinegar if that’s your thing.
• I feel like roasting some butternut squash separately and adding it in would add some depth.
• Hear me out… Roasted Brussels sprouts would work really well with this.

How would you do it? What are your butternut sqash recipes? Have any good pasta sauce recipes that aren’t marinara or alfredo?

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