Wednesday Afternoon Recipe Blogging

Yesterday I wrote a whole long blog post only to erase it by accident. Grr. Argh! And I haven't had time to sit down and write a replacement. So instead, I'll offer this:

I'm working late tonight and had some space in my schedule to comehome a do a bit of cooking. In a Weight Watchers meeting last week, someone tried a recipe for Butternut Squash Ricotta Baked Pasta. It's a Weight Watchers recipe and I decided to give it a shot today.

The recipe lists the dish as one that takes "moderate" skills. It took a few pans, but was super easy to make (I think it's listed as "Moderate" because of the multiple pans).

Here are my thoughts--I love garlic, but I've made this sauce twice and somehow the garlic seems to clash a bit with the flavor of the faux rue. So I'd cut down, if not cut out, the garlic in this. 

And...Trader Joe's now has canned butternut squash puree. I suspect this would work as well as doing the work of cutting, baking and mashing the squash.

For what it's worth--the walnuts and the ricotta make this dish very delicious! Enjoy!!

2 spray(s) cooking spray
20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled and cubed
1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, penne
1 1/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
2 Tbsp white all-purpose flour
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 Tbsp thyme, fresh, chopped, divided
1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended
1/4 cup(s) chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Yields about 1 cup per serving.