Barilla® Penne Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash

This post has been sponsored by Barilla®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This Barilla® Penne pasta with roasted butternut squash, crispy sage and parmesan is a perfect weeknight family mea!

Barilla® Blue Box Pasta is one of the things I always put in my shopping cart at Albertson's because I know I can always use it to create a perfect meal the whole family will love. When I'm at my job, working as a private chef, I have the time to make elaborate multi course meals. When I'm cooking at home, I'm a mom of two and I reach for the things I trust and know will help me get dinner on the table in around 30 minutes. Pasta is one of those things everyone loves. By adding in some roasted vegetables and fresh herbs, I can turn this blue box into a cozy, budget friendly meal that's just right for my family. This recipe is vegetarian, but I've also done it with some crumbled bacon or sautéed pancetta added in at the end (DELICIOUS!). You can also swap the parmesan for crumbled feta or goat cheese - make the meal just right for your family!

The Albertson’s app also makes everything so easy. I can make my shopping list with it, see what’s on sale, and did you know it offers free products for members? I had been shopping there for years without utilizing this app and had no idea what I was missing!

Now for the recipe

What You'll Need to Make Dinner Al Dente

1 butternut squash
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 bunch fresh sage
1 cup grated Parmesan
2/3 box Barilla® Penne pasta
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and put a large pot of water on the stove to cook pasta.
While water heats, cut round end off squash and set aside for another use. Peel remaining cylinder of squash with a vegetable peeler or chefs knife and slice into 1 cm cubes.
Place squash in a bowl and add garlic, olive oil, salt, and the whole leaves (removed from stem) from the sage bunch. Toss to coat evenly and transfer to lightly oiled sheet pan. Roast until tender (about 20 minutes.) While squash is roasting, cook Barilla® penne 11 minutes for al dente. I like to use a timer when I’m making pasta and multitasking so I don’t over cook it. Luckily it is difficult to cook Barilla incorrectly. Barilla provides confidence that it will always have great texture and taste.
To put it all together, toss drained pasta with the roasted butternut squash and sage leaves. Reserve a few whole sage leaves to garnish and let the rest crumble into the pasta as you toss it. Mix in the grated Parmesan and chili flakes if using, and add a little more olive oil if you like!