Lunch: Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, optional
1 pound penne pasta
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Toss the squash cubes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt (if using) and mix well. Spread onto a baking pan in a single layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until soft. Increase the oven temperature to broil and broil the squash for 2 minutes more.
When the squash is almost done, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt (if using) and the penne and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
Place half of the squash into a blender along with the reserved pasta water and puree until it is smooth. It should have the consistency of tomato sauce.
Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pan over low heat. Add the onion and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (if using) and cook until the onion is softened.
Add the squash puree and roasted squash cubes to the onion, and sauté for 1 minute.
Stir in the drained pasta, and remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the Parmigiano, parsley, and pepper, and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.

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