PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FRESH FENNE

Category: Easy And Quick Recipes

Ready in a jiffy, this scrumptious pasta pairs the silky, subtle anise notes of fennel bulb with walnuts, earthy whole grain pasta, and sweet butternut squash. Bonus: This is a one-pot meal, so no messy cleanup!

ingredients

  • 2 medium fennel bulbs
  • 8 oz. dry whole grain penne
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1½ cups cubed fresh butternut squash
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
demo

Direction

  • Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Remove stems from fennel bulbs; trim and coarsely chop the fronds. Halve bulbs, then cut into ¼-inch-thick slices.
  • Add penne and onion to boiling water. Cook according to package directions for the pasta, adding squash and sliced fennel bulb the last 7 minutes of cooking.
  • Reserve 3 cups cooking water. Drain pasta and vegetables. Return pasta and vegetables to pot. Add 1 to 1½ cups cooking water and ¼ to ½ cup chopped fennel fronds to pot; toss to coat. Add additional reserved cooking water if desired for saucier pasta. Sprinkle with walnuts.