1 lb. pasta (I used gemelli, but any short, curly pasta will work)
1 medium butternut squash
¼ lb bacon (about 3 - 4 slices) thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
¼ cup thinly sliced sage (plus a little extra for garnish)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for garnish)
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
Peel butternut squash, slice in half, and scoop out seeds and pulp. Shred squash on a box grater or in the food processor fitted with the coarse grating blade.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 - 7 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet with a large slotted spoon and reserve. Discard all but 1 tbsp. rendered bacon fat and cook shallots and garlic over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add squash and sage and cook until squash begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Add pasta, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of pasta cooking liquid and stir to coat. Continuing stirring and adding pasta liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, until sauce fully coats the pasta. Stir in reserved bacon. Divide among bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan and sage.
Recipe by Allons-Eat! at https://www.allonseat.com/butternut-squash-pasta/