Here in Florence, the air is getting crisper, the leaves are changing, and along with that comes the beautiful variety of squashes and pumpkins. Autumn is such a beautiful time of year and the flavors of foods are so scrumptious! I went to mercato sant’ambrogio yesterday to pick up some butternut squash for this dish, I was craving some fall! 🙂

Ingredients:

• about 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
• olive oil
• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk + more or less
• 1/4 cup romano cheese, grated
• salt & pepper

First, toss butternut squash in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 for about an hour. It should be nice and tender. Mash in a bowl with a fork until no chunks remain, set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350.

Once that is almost done, boil your water for the pasta. Cook pasta until almost al dente, about 9 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter over low heat. Add scallions and sautee until translucent. Add the flour a little at a time until it forms a roux. Then whisk in milk slowly and add the mashed squash. In a greased baking dish, toss the penne with the sauce and top with grated romano, salt & pepper. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Buon appetito! Enjoy your warm fall dinner and a nice glass of red wine.