A Good Fall Meal

Fall reminds me of squash: butternut squash, acorn squash, and pumpkins, too. I made this recipe with my mom a couple of years ago, and it was delicious. This is Dave Lieberman's "Penne With Butternut Squash, Fresh Chorizo, and Thyme" from Dave's Dinners.

Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate (I used rotini because I had it)
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. fresh chorizo, casing removed and meat chopped
1/2 lb. peeled butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I don't know how much 1/2 a lb. is, but I used a whole squash before reading the 1/2 lb. part, and it was lovely)
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
About 10 thyme sprigs
15 grinds fresh black pepper

Prepare:
Get the water boiling for the pasta, and do all the chopping.

Cook:
In a large pot, cook the penne in the boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown the chopped sausage meat (cook through), then transfer to a plate but leave the fat in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan.

Add the squash and cook 5 minutes, not stirring too often, so the squash gets some color. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, thyme, pepper, and browned sausage, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing often, until squash is fork-tender but not falling apart. Toss with the pasta and garnish with a thyme sprig or two from the pan.

Serves 6.

We had a pumpkin ale with this dish, and it was DELICIOUS. This would also pair nicely with a dry white wine, a sauvignon blanc, perhaps.