Makes 6–8 main-dish servings or 10–12 side dish servings
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 3 cups, see tip)
1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 11⁄2 cups)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 strips bacon
1 pound shell pasta
Pumpkin Sauce
1 cup low-fat milk
3⁄4 cup chicken broth
2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) cream cheese
2 tablespoons flour
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, additional for topping, if desired
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place squash, onion, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper on one of the sheets. Drizzle with oil and toss gently with your hands until everything is well coated. Spread into a single layer.
2. Lay bacon in a single layer on another baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in oven and cook 15–20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon pan from oven and use tongs to lay bacon strips on paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool enough to handle. Continue cooking squash an additional 13–15 minutes until it is soft and tender. (It only took about 20 min. to cook the squash when I did it.)
3. While the bacon and squash are in the oven, bring a large stockpot of water to boil and cook shell pasta according to package directions.
4. For the sauce: Combine milk, broth, cream cheese, flour, salt, and pumpkin puree in a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 4–5 minutes, until thickened. Add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted, cover saucepan, and remove from heat.
5. Drain pasta and return to stockpot. Add sauce, squash mixture, and crumbled bacon and toss to combine. Serve immediately or transfer to a casserole dish, top with additional Parmesan cheese, and bake 15–20 minutes.
