Butternut Squash and Parsnip Baked Pasta

16 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)
November 2002
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This meatless dish combines two autumn vegetables that I love. It's warming, spicy, and very satisfying. It's homey enough to serve on weeknights and festive enough to serve during the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
  • 1 cup chopped parsnip
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 1% low-fat milk

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 437
  • Caloriesfromfat 28%
  • Fat 13.4g
  • Satfat 6.1g
  • Monofat 5.1g
  • Polyfat 1g
  • Protein 16.5g
  • Carbohydrate 63.6g
  • Fiber 5.3g
  • Cholesterol 25mg
  • Iron 3.1mg
  • Sodium 607mg
  • Calcium 297mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add squash and parsnip; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in sage, parsley, nutmeg, allspice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; remove from heat.

Step 3

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Combine squash mixture, pasta, and 1/4 cup cheese in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, tossing gently to combine.

Step 4

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add reserved cooking liquid; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Step 5

Pour milk mixture over pasta mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chef's Notes

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

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Ratings & Reviews

FoodieMarissa's Review

KatherineSpins
January 08, 2014
This is the perfect winter dish to add to your collection. This recipe turned out great! Be prepared to have few hours on your hands. This is not a meal you can whip up after work. My boyfriend is British and was in love with it. He said it reminded him of home. After reading the reviews I did a few things differently. I cut up two thin chicken breasts and sautéed them for five minutes then added them to the bake. I also recommend doubling the recipe. It doesn't make sense to use half a squash and this recipe takes too much work to not have leftovers. I found the baking time to be fine but needed to add extra flour to get my sauce to thicken up. I also added a handful of shredded, white, sharp cheddar cheese to the top of the dish to give it that golden brown covering. I highly recommend this dish for a dinner party or special occasion. Don't skimp on the ingredients. Fresh high quality parmesan really makes this dish!

EllenDeller's Review

FoodieMarissa
November 18, 2013
We thought this was spectacular. My only changes were to use a tri-color penne, cook 2 pieces of certified humanely raised bacon, saute the onion mixture in the drippings (only about 1-2 teaspoons) and crumble the bacon into the mixture. Oh, and I did add about 1/3 of a habanero pepper, but we like hot food. This was even more delicious the next day as lunch leftovers. Served with lightly braised greens (chard & spinach) and a crusty roll.

Cassie1210's Review

fleetbeat01
January 06, 2013
N/A

mottsapplesauce's Review

TDoherty
January 05, 2012
N/A

rstarrlemaitre's Review

NanaBrown
November 15, 2011
I thought that the red pepper dominated to the detriment of the rest of this recipe! Next time I would leave it out, and liberally increase the sage, nutmeg, and allspice. Underneath the red pepper though, this pasta dish is warming, hearty, and great comfort food - like adult mac 'n' cheese. Served with kale and roasted rutabaga.

spaprincessnic's Review

spaprincessnic
October 25, 2011
AMAZING! I don't usually keep milk in the house (it makes my tummy mad) so I subbed yogurt for the cream sauce (prepped basically the same with a bit more reserved water), and I used 1 cup of orecchiette noodles to cut some of the calories and added more squash and parsnip.Oh, and I used basil instead of the parsley and sage (didn't have any). Baked for 30 mins uncovered until golden and done! I can not believe how tasty this dish is! Will be a new go to!

hmsktm's Review

Cassie1210
March 01, 2011
I also doubled the recipe with great results. The leftovers freeze very well. I followed the suggestion of other reviewers and baked it covered until the very end. This was wonderful - I loved the flavors. I will make it one of my go-to dishes for the fall.

KatherineSpins's Review

mottsapplesauce
February 11, 2011
I modified this to not use partials, so essentially ended up doubling it - full box of whole wheat pasta, a whole butternut squash because what am I going to do with half a squash?? Double the rest of the ingedients, and I also added cooked chicken breast. Recipe needs a longer baking time (covered for part of the time), and is more time consuming than recipe indicates. BUT.. the product is utterly delicious. The spice combination is marvelous.

Pipsqueak's Review

hmsktm
February 06, 2011
Had my doubts about this in the middle, but afterwards I have to say I enjoyed it more than I expected. Couple small changes: I roasted the veggies at 400 for about 20 mins instead of cooking in saute pan Used evaporated skim milk rather than 1%. Added a couple ladles of the pasta cooking water before pouring over pasta because the sauce seemed too thick. Didn't cover, but it baked up quite nice. Will make again, but for my taste it needed a ton more salt.

EmInIowa's Review

JustUs3
January 29, 2011
I made this recipe exactly as the instructions said, and was really disappointed at how bland it was. With everything that went into it, I thought it would be much more flavorful. Also, it took a solid HOUR to get it all prepared, cooked, and ready to put into the oven! It was way too time-consuming for a not-very-tasty outcome. I won't make it again.