Comfort Food All Dressed Up for Fall: Bacon and Butternut Squash Penne

This is a compensated post in partnership with Ronco Pasta. The recipe I created is my own. 

A few weeks ago I was really craving some comfort food, and specifically, my favorite pasta noodle (penne). So I dreamed up this recipe which is oh-so-perfect for this time of year. Also? It has bacon. And you can’t go wrong with bacon, friends!

 

Check it out, and if you like how it sounds, or if you make it and love how it tastes, could I ask for your vote? I’m facing off with another blogger in a recipe competition, and if I win there’s a $100 Visa gift card with my name on it. And more importantly, by voting for me, you have a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card. Now that’s what I call a win/win!

You can vote once a day now through December 1st. Here’s the voting link. Remember, each vote not only helps me, but gives you another chance to win $250!
https://offerpop.com/ad.psp?cid=482206&ref=blog_post

I hope you love the dish, I hope you vote for me, and I hope we both win big! Let’s do this!

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into bite-size pieces
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, sage, nutmeg
• 16 oz Ronco Hidden Veggies Penne Pasta
• 8 oz turkey bacon
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Optional: fresh parsley for garnish

Servings: 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the olive oil to large mixing bowl, then blend in all 4 spices. Then add the diced squash to the bowl, and mix to combine. Place the squash mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and with raised edges. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping the squash over after 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 6 cups of water in a large pot until boiling. I recommend adding 1 tsp salt to the water for extra flavor, but that is optional. Cook the pasta for 7-9 minutes. Strain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the bacon in the microwave, following package instructions. I cooked my bacon slices 4 at a time on a lined paper towel, with a second paper towel on top, for 4-5 minutes. After 3 minutes, I checked the bacon every 30 seconds to make sure it wasn’t getting too crisp. The end goal is crispy bacon, not burnt bacon! After the bacon has cooled a bit, use kitchen shears or a knife to cut it into strips. If some of it crumbles, that is perfectly fine.

Now it is time to add everything together! Using the pot that you cooked the noodles in, combine the penne, bacon, butternut squash and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese. If the mixture needs some additional moisture, you can add in a bit of water, 1 Tbsp at a time. Plate your pasta and sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!