Butternut Squash Shells & Cheese with Bacon & Cauliflower

Don’t let the long name fool you, this recipes is actually easier to make than writing out the whole title out on paper.

Given the challenge of avoiding the market for as long as possible, dinners now require a bit of creativity while diving into the depths of the pantry. Somehow, I’ve always got a can of squash or pumpkin laying around, usually left over from an excess stockpiling around Thanksgiving time. That little can became the catalyst of this deliciously healthy-meets-decadent one pot dinner. Also in my rations: dried pasta shells, bacon (always), Parmesan cheese, and frozen cauliflower. If you’ve got mushrooms you can brown up and throw into the pot, that’s an added bonus, but not at all required. Richly comforting, yet also inclusive of not one, but 2 servings of veggies, these ‘cheesy’ shells are going into the regular rotation— even after I’m allowed out of the house for frequent shopping trips.

For this recipe, you’ll need to pull out the big one- a large 8-10 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot. Recipe serves 4 + leftovers.

One Pot Butternut Squash Shells & Cheese w/ Bacon & Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bacon, sliced into ¼ inch strips (lardons)

• 1 lb. dried pasta shells

• 1, 15 oz. can butternut squash puree

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 c. frozen cauliflower florettes

• 2/3 c. grated parmesan cheese + more for topping

• 1 Tbs. dried basil

• 6 c. water + more as needed

• kosher salt &fresh ground black pepper, as needed

1. Heat the Dutch oven over medium. When the pan is hot, add the bacon slices and cook until browned and crisp. Remove the cooked bacon from the pan, and set aside. Dab out any excess fat with a paper towel, and discard.

2. With the Dutch oven still over medium heat, add about ¼ c. of water, and scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the pasta shells along with 6 c. of waster to the pan, and bring to a boil. Boil the shells in water until 3 minutes under the recommended cooking time on the back of the package (about 8 minutes), add the frozen cauliflower, give a good stir, and reduce the heat to low.

3. Over low heat, stir in the canned squash, minced garlic, dried basil, cooked bacon, and a few liberal pinches of fine kosher salt. Bring the mixture back up to a low boil for 2 minutes, or until pasta is tender. If sauce is too thick, stir in water until desired texture is achieved. Taste, and season with additional kosher salt and black pepper. Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper on top.