Rigatoni with Acron Squash

I really like the idea of squash and pasta together - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Last night, it worked! (Thankfully - although I had to hear moans and groans of dismay from Nathan as he walked by the stove.)

I think it's the stringy texture of the acorn squash that I like so much - or the sweetness against the bland pasta. And, the cream...definitely the cream! The dish was fast, easy and hit the spot. The one thing that really pissed me off is that I got so side tracked after dinner, that I forgot to put our leftovers in the refrigerator, so I had nothing to bring today for lunch. Bummer! It would've probably been very good.

RIGATONI WITH ACORN SQUASH

1 lb rigatoni

1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely minced

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup brown sugar

Prepare pasta as directed.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, add onions and cook until translucent. Add brown sugar and cook until dissolved, stirring constantly. Then, add chicken stock, squash, nutmeg and thyme. Bring to a boil, and cook until squash become tender. Finish off with heavy cream. Drain pasta into squash mixture, stir gently (so you don't break up your pasta!) and serve.

I add a bed of sauted spinach (hooray for germ free spinach!) in garlic and olive oil on the side. And, BTW - Nate ate it, and liked it and even had seconds. The punk!