Gluten-Free Rigate With Roasted Butternut Squash & Smoked Bacon

Gluten Free Rigate with Roasted Butternut Squash and Smoked Bacon

The ultimate comfort food and easy to make pasta dish. With its subtle sweetness, butternut squash is a flavor that will go with almost any main dish.

This buttery and savory dish with hints of herbaceous sage and the subtle sweetness and spice of shallots and cayenne pairs well the smoked applewood bacon.

Gluten-Free Rigate With Roasted Butternut Squash & Smoked Bacon

2 cups butternut squash (about a 1 3/4 pound squash), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz. Penne Rigate, gluten-free pasta

4 to 5 thick sliced applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 shallots, thinly sliced

12 fresh sage leaves, torn

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

In a pot of boiling water, cook the gluten free pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Most Jovial pasta instructions do not say to rinse, but we do, so the pasta will not stick, while it sits waiting to be used.

Now you can roast the butternut squash coated with olive oil in a preheated 425 degree oven (that’s great for colder weather) or you can do what we did and roast the diced squash coated with olive oil (1 tablespoon) on a hot BBQ grill using a BBQ basket.

Add the squash to the basket and close the lid for about 15 minutes or until the squash is browned and tender (but not to soft or mushy).

When butternut squash is brown and tender, remove and set aside.

Heat on the grill remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ceramic coated skillet (or skillet of your choice), and add the smoked bacon and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Next add the shallots, crushed red pepper and a generous pinch of black pepper and mix in. Next add the sage, mix in and cook until the shallots are soft, about 4 minutes.