Butternut Squash, Apples and Pasta

This is another Rachael Ray recipe. I actually pulled it from her 20 make-ahead meal plan and just adapted it a bit to fit my purposes. I looked at the ingredient list and thought, "I love all of those things, but will I love them together?" With all that fall flavor, I thought I should certainly find out.

Pasta with Apple and Squash
adapted from Rachael Ray

3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 3/4-inch cubes (about 1/2 a large squash)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lb pasta (rigatoni, rotini, penne, etc)
8 oz bacon, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 shallots, minced
1 tart apple, sliced
1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Put the chopped squash on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Add salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread evenly in the pan and bake for until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
   
2. While the squash is baking, cook pasta al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
   
3. In the same pot, cook bacon until just crisp; transfer to paper towels. Add shallots and apple and cook for 5 minutes. Add pasta, squash, cooking water, bacon and parmesan; season with additional salt and pepper and toss.
   

Serves 4.
The final product: homey and comforting. I'm a big fan of cooked squash (zucchini is a favorite but butternut is a close second). I'm also a big fan of bacon...and of cooked apples of any sort. Honestly, I'm a big fan of this meal. All of the ingredients, while delicious in and of themselves (except parmesan...it's really not good by itself), are even more delicious paired together. It might sound a little scary (especially if you're Tyler) but it really is good (even Tyler agreed).