Penne with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, & Walnuts

Fall is here!  Fall is here!  I absolutely love fall and the flavors of fall.  This was my first attempt at cooking with butternut squash and I was quite pleased.  Of course I could have eaten this sans meat but my dear sweet husband needs meat in his dinners.  I added 3 sliced chicken sausages stuffed with feta and spinach (from Sam's Club).  Also, this makes a lot (about 6 servings), so I froze half the finished product for another day.

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 shallots, dicen into 1/2-inch pieces (or the other 1/2 of your onion) 
• olive oil, for drizzling
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta (or other tubular pasta)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup hot soy or skim milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see note at the end of post)
• 1 packed cup chopped fresh thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves)
• finely grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
4. While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain and heat milk in microwave (or use 1 cup of pasta water). Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of hot milk (or pasta water) in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve. Again, I served with chicken sausages for my husband.

Note:  To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F toaster oven or regular oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.