Welcome Home Dinner

This past weekend, while I was at home, I decided to make my parents dinner. They have been in Key West for the past week and I thought a little welcome home meal might be nice. Cookstr.com has kind of taken over my life the last week and I happened to stumble upon a recipe last week that looked amazing and I thought would be perfect for the parents. The recipe includes one of my all-time favorite ingredients: butternut squash. The texture, the sweetness and the ease of use of this ingredient is what makes it grab a spot in my top five. The recipe is easy and very low maintenance. The roasting of the butternut squash makes it extremely tender and roasting the squash with red onions and garlic gives it more flavor than you can imagine. This is definitely a "must try" recipe. Good luck!

Butternut Squash Penne

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 2lb (900g), peeled and seeded
• 1 red onion, cut into eighths
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1lb (450g) dried penne
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Peel the squash. Cut the squash into 1in (2.5cm) cubes.

2. Toss the squash, onion, oil, and balsamic vinegar in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender. During the last few minutes, stir in the garlic.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water over high heat until al dente. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add the roasted vegetables, Gruyere, creme fraiche, and sage, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls, with olive oil and the Parmesan cheese passed on the side.

© 2008 Dorling Kindersley

Note: Don't be afraid if you can't find creme fraiche, you can substitute sour cream and it tastes amazing!