Roasted Squash and Mushroom Pasta

We all know how much I LOVE roasted vegetables…so, when I heard about this Roasted Squash and Mushroom Pasta recipe in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food pullout, I just had to try it!

Oh my goodness, I was NOT disappointed!

The sweet roasted flavor of the butternut squash went so well with the simple seasonings and pasta in this recipe.

I even “veganized” the recipe using vegan Parma parmesan cheese with great success!

Simple to make, warm and tasty on a winter’s eve – how can you go wrong? Here’s how to make this dish:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan, divided plus more for serving
• 1 small butternut squash (2 pounds) peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
• 8 fresh sage leaves (optional) – I used dried sage
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved
• 3/4 pound short pasta (such as penne or gemelli)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss breadcrumbs with 2-tablespoons cheese and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Toss squash with 3 tablespoons oil and the sage if using.

Season with salt and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.

4. Toss mushrooms with remaining tablespoon of oil and season.

5. Posh the squash to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms to the other side and roast for 10 minutes.

6. Flip the vegetables over and roast until tender and golden about 20 minutes.

7. While vegetables are roasting, cook your pasta according to package directions. When ready, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and drain.

8. Remove half of the squash from the pan in oven and sprinkle the remaining vegetables with the breadcrumb mixture and return it to oven to roast until golden brown – about 5 minutes.

9. Add reserved squash and 1 cup of the pasta water to the pot you cooked your pasta in. Cook over medium high heat, mashing the squash as it comes to a boil.

10. Add the pasta back into the pot and the remaining 6 tablespoons of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Add more pasta water if necessary to make a creamy sauce.

11. Stir in the remaining vegetables just before serving, sprinkle with additional cheese and drizzle with olive oil if desired.

12. Enjoy!!!

I will definitely be making this recipe over and over – it was that yummy! Left-overs were so nice to have at work the next day for lunch too!