Baked Shells With Winter Squash

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• butter, for baking dish
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• coarse salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 large red bell peppers or 1 large green bell pepper, halved & seeded and cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 lb small shell pasta
• 1 (12 ounce) package frozen winter squash puree, thawed
• 1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400ºf.
• 2 butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• 3 heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
• 4 add onions & peppers; season with salt and pepper.
• 5 cover; cook until onions are soft and release liquid, 15 minutes.
• 6 uncover; raise heat to medium.
• 7 cook, stirring, until onions are browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 8 stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary.
• 9 meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions suggest.
• 10 drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water.
• 11 return pasta to pot; add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
• 12 stir squash and reserved pasta water into onions; simmer 2 minutes.
• 13 toss squash mixture and 1/2 cup parmesan or more, with pasta.
• 14 transfer to prepared dish.
• 15 combine bread cubes with remaining parmesan, rosemary, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
• 16 top pasta with bread cubes; bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 17 serve with a salad of sliced tmatoes and crunchy bread sticks.