This is a fall standby for me, REC: Baked Shells with Squash and Caramelized Onions
I have served this with roast beef and pork, chicken and, omitting the bacon, as a veggie main dish.
Baked Shells with Squash and Caramelized Onions
4 T olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 t rosemary, chopped, divided
1 # pasta shells, small are best
2 cups cooked pureed squash*
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 c. Parmesan, divided
2 cups fresh bread, diced small
salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Butter a large casserole dish.
In a large skillet add chopped bacon and cook until bacon is almost crispy. Remove. Pour off fat and save. Add olive oil and lower heat to medium low, saute onions with a pinch of salt, covered, for 15 minutes, then remove lid and raise heat to medium and caramelize the onions until a deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp of chopped rosemary.
Meanwhile, In a small bowl combine the bread, the reserved bacon, the remaining Parmesan and rosemary, a little grated pepper and 2 T bacon fat. Taste for salt.
While onions are caramelizing, cook pasta shells in salted water until al dente, 2 minutes less than package suggests. Saving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot.
Stir into the pasta the squash and enough pasta water to make a creamy mixture. Add the onions and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, taste for seasoning. Pour into the casserole and top with the bread mixture.
Bake until golden brown and topping is crispy, 15 minutes.
