Pasta with butternut squash and sage

4 slices bacon
8 large sage leaves, plus 1 Tbs minced
1 (2 pound) butternut squash cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tbs unsalted butter
6 scallions thinly sliced
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound tubular pasta
2 Tbs Parmesan
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cook bacon until crisp. Add whole sage leaves and cook 2 minutes. Pour through fine mesh strainer. Set aside bacon sage mixture and return fat to pan. Reheat at high temperature, add butternut squash in single layer and cook without stirring until caramelized (8 to 10 minutes). Continue cooking, stirring now and then until browned spots appear (5 minutes). Add butter and melt. Add scallions, nutmeg, sugar, minced sage, ½ tsp salt and ¾ tsp pepper. Cook stirring, until scallions are softened (3 minutes). Add broth and simmer until squash is tender. Concurrently, bring 4 litres of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook to al dente, drain, return pasta to pot and add squash and bacon sage mixtures. Add 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and adjust with added liquid if sauce is too dry. Serve with sliced almonds and additional Parmesan. Serves 8

Serving Size: 8 (1 CUP) servings

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RIKU13.