I was in search of how to use the butternut squash sitting in my fridge after day 2 and found a couple recipes that looked ok, but didn't quite hit what I wanted. So, as per my normal fashion, I made mental notes and pulled bits and pieces from the recipes I saw and threw my own two cents in.
You can use whatever pasta you want, gluten free or not (depending on your dietary needs), for this dish. I used Tinkyada's Brown Rice Penne Pasta for it and, Lord, happiness. The texture is almost exactly like regular pasta and the odd bonus I've noticed is that you don't feel bloated after eating it. At least, for me. I digress...
I was asked to make a dish for my friend's engagement party as they had 3 more people with food allergies that couldn't eat what all was being served. So, this is what I decided to throw together for it after having made it only one other time a few weeks ago. Apparently, it was a hit with both the GF'ers and the non-GF'ers that I was asked for the recipe more than a few times. So here it is:
Ham and Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage Pasta:
1-16oz bag of Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne Pasta (or non-GF if you don't have that problem)
1-pound Ham (GF - can be pre-diced, a thick slice, etc.)
1 and 1/2 lbs of Butternut Squash, chopped into 1-2" pieces
1/4 Diced Red Onion
1 tsp Diced Garlic
~6 tbsp, divided, Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil (I tend to use Grapeseed more often when using a skillet)
4-6 tbsp Dried, Rubbed Sage (you can use fresh if you have)
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg to taste
Roasting the Squash:
1. Combine 3 tbsp's of olive/grapeseed oil in a cup and add a dash of salt, pepper, and some sage.
2. On a baking sheet, lay out the Butternut Squash and brush the sage and oil mix over the pieces
3. Place squash in the oven and roast at 350-degrees for about 45 minutes. The squash should just be browning a bit and fragrant. Go as light or as dark as you want so long as the squash is soft when you pull it from the oven.
Ham and Pasta:
1. Throw the pasta into a large pot of rolling, salted water.
2. Once your past is cooked, drain all but 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. While your pasta is cooking: in a skillet on Medium, heat 3 tbsp of olive/grapeseed oil until it shimmers.
4. Add the ham and cook for 5-10 minutes (I like mine lightly browned).
5. Add the garlic, onion, sage, salt and pepper to taste, into the skillet. Cook until the onion is translucent (apx. 5 minutes).
6. Combine squash and ham mixture into the pot with your pasta. Add nutmeg and any additional seasoning you feel suits your palate.
*if you feel there's too much liquid left, turn the stove top on and heat through until the liquid combines with the pasta a bit more. You should have a slightly creamy texture between the oil from the skillet and the starch from the pasta.
