Penne with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Cubed butternut squash is a recent addition to most frozen food sections—and a welcome one since it eliminates all the peeling, scraping and slicing that go with fresh squash. (Fresh butternut squash will also work, though.)

1/4 cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped frozen onions
1 1/4 lb. frozen diced butternut squash, about 4 cups
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 lb. whole-wheat penne

1. Heat 1 Tbs. pesto in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in squash and broth. Cover, and cook over medium low 10 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and divide among 4 bowls. Swirl remaining 1 Tbs. pesto into sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pasta, and use remaining pesto to garnish each serving.

PER SERVING: 489 CAL; 16G PROT; 9.5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 87G CARB; 5MG CHOL; 332MG SOD; 10G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Serves 4 - 30 minutes or fewer
Penne with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Butternut Squash Pizza

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled
1 small yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh ricotta

Heat oven to 400° F.

Cut the squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into 1-inch chunks. Place the squash and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Increase oven temperature to 450° F. Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick. Clean the baking sheet and sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Place the dough on top. Scatter the squash and onion mixture over the dough, sprinkle with the thyme, and add dollops of the ricotta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Slice into wedges.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Butternut Squash Pizza : RealSimple.com