Via NYT Cooking.
- Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more as needed
- 1 lb penne or other tubular pasta
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 3 packed cups baby spinach
- 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size chunks
- 1 jalapeno, sliced into rounds
- 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley and tender stems, roughly chopped
- Bring a large covered pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with high sides and a tight-fitting lid (or a Dutch oven), heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the squash and season with salt, cumin, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every minute, until squash becomes browned in spots and feels just tender, 6-8 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until not quite al dente, 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions. (It should be a little too firm to the bite.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain. If the pasta is done before the squash, then stir in a drizzle of olive oil so that it doesn’t stick together.
- When the squash is just tender, add the broth. Bring to an active simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft and easily mashable, 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat, then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush about half of the butternut squash and leave the rest chunky. Season the squash to taste, keeping in mind that salty Parmesan will be added soon.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with 1 cup reserved pasta water and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, stirring vigorously to combine. Stir in the spinach one handful at a time until it shrinks down a little.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, the mozzarella and jalapeno, then place in the oven, on a sheet pan if you are worried about dripping. Cook until the top is melted and browned in spots, 12-15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, top with parsley and serve.
[…] here is the recipe, because of course the NYT one is paywalled. And here is a picture of me with my butternut squash. […]
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