Baked Penne with Butternut Squash and Ricotta

PersonalPoints™

per serving

Total Time: 1 hr 25 min

Prep: 25 min

Cook: 1 hr

Serves: 8

Moderate

This pasta casserole is a hearty yet elegant combination of whole wheat penne, rich butternut squash, toasted walnuts, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. While you're shopping, look for a 20-oz bag of fresh, already peeled and cubed squash from your supermarket. If you can't find any, then you can cut a medium squash in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on prepared baking sheet; roast in a 375° oven until tender, about 45 minutes. Scoop squash out of skin into a large bowl, mash with a spoon, and proceed with the recipe. Alternatively, you can microwave cubed squash, covered, in a shallow microwave-safe baking dish or container with 1/4 cup of water, until cooked through; mash squash in a bowl.

Ingredients:

2 sprays cooking spray
20 oz uncooked butternut squash, fresh, peeled and cubed
⅛ tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
12 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta, penne
1¼ cups fat-free skim milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme, fresh, chopped, divided
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended
¼ tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After the squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.
Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until the top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.
Serving Size: Yields about 1 cup per serving!