Okay, this may not be what my friend was requesting when she asked for some “real” food but this was an amazing dish!

This was my first adventure with creme fraiche – great to be able to find something so fancy sounding at the local Ingles grocery!  Creme fraiche is certainly not a diet food but I spent some time looking for substitutes and none sounded truly promising.  I figure with whole wheat pasta, butternut squash, and kale there must be some balance.

You need 5 cups of cubed peeled butternut squash.  I bought a big squash and cut it myself but you can find it in the grocery store already chopped .  A big convenience if it is affordable for you.  This recipe comes form the new January/February Cooking Light Magazine.

Bacon and Butternut Squash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 5 cups of chopped and peeled butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Arrange the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Cook 12 ounces of tube shaped pasta until almost al dente.  Add 4 cups of chopped kale to the water with the pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain the pasta mixture.

Cook 2 bacon slices in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble.  Add 2 cups of vertically sliced onions to the drippings in the pan; cook for 6  minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 5 minced cloves of garlic.  Cook another minute. Move off the heat.

Start with 2 cups of chicken stock.  In a saucepan, bring 1 and 3/4 cups of chicken stock to a boil.  Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of stock with 2 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add the flour mixture, another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the broth.  Cook 2 minutes or until the broth is slightly thickened.  Remove from the heat and stir 1 cup of creme fraiche.

In a big bowl, combine the squash (be sure to scrape any bits from the pan), pasta mixture, bacon, onion mixture.  Place the pasta mixture in a 13 x 9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the top with 1/3 cup (1.5 ounces) of shredded Gruyere cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.

This makes enough to serve 8 buts holds up as excellent as leftovers.  If you actually divide it into 8 servings, each serving is 388 calories.  It was so wonderfully rich and felt like a decadent treat.  Enjoy!!

~ The Mildly Manic Mom