Penne with Butternut Squash, Bacon & Chard

Dinner tonight--an old favorite I thought you might like. Larry calls it "mac'n'cheese for grown-ups." Lots of cheesy goodness, but all that Swiss chard makes you feel good about eating those greens!

3 cups of butternut squash, cubed

salt & pepper

6 slices of bacon

1 cup chopped shallots (or onion)

3 large leaves of swiss chard cut in

slivers (or use spinach--about 3 cups,

cut up)

8 oz. mini penne

3 tab. flour

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

3 oz (3/4 cup) grated provelone

1/3 cup grated parmesan

First cook the penne pasta according to the directions on the box while you are getting everything else ready. Salt and pepper the cubed squash (I buy it already cut up in a bag from Trader Joes's) and then roast it on a cookie sheet at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes (just until tender). Cut the bacon into bits and cook it-- about half way through throw in the shallots to brown with the bacon. When it's all cooked drain the fat and stir in the swiss chard to wilt it just a bit. In a pan melt 3 tab. butter, stir in the flour til it's all mixed, and then stir in the milk until it simmers to make a nice white sauce. While it's still hot stir in the grated cheese (really any kind of cheese will do). Taste to see if it needs a bit of salt--not much, the bacon is salty! Then add the drained pasta, squash, bacon and shallots all into the sauce and stir it all together. Turn it into a 7x11 inch pan and top with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until bubbly and nicely browned.

We ate it tonight with a pear/almond/greens salad with a tarragon dressing and a multigrain roll--warm and filling. Oh, and delicious!

This recipe will stand a lot of substitutions-- ham for bacon, any cheese for provelone, any pasta you have on hand, spinach for swiss chard... We just have chard because larry grows it year round--it's beautiful in the yard! Hope you enjoy it--good warm-upable leftovers.