Creamy butternut pasta bake with guanciale, Manchego and sage.

Dare I say it's the ultimate side dish?

A photo that doesn’t do justice to the deliciousness of this dish.

“I’ve never seen you test a recipe this many times” - my husband Artie, as he happily shovels another forkful of creamy/salty/sweet pasta bake into his mouth. I can barely respond because I’m incredulous that my children are also not complaining about another night of the same dinner, and happily munching away.

I did test this recipe many times, because if you’re going to put forth the effort of scrubbing a baking pan (plus a cumbersome large pot) to indulge in a decadent, creamy, pasta bake, the recipe should be as perfect as possible. And I do believe this is the perfect cold-weather, coziest of dinners…and a legitimate threat to the the plain mac & cheese dish on every Thanksgiving table.

I originally published a version of this recipe in The Boston Globe in 2010, and every year I see friends make and repost it, and it warms my heart. But I always felt the instructions could be a bit clearer, the texture a bit creamier, and the flavors a bit bolder. I will spare you the details of how I agonized over whether or not to introduce a cornstarch slurry (in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to even try it). How I cornered my friend Zach at Remnant Brewing — which, in addition to being a great brewery is my favorite place to spend a mid-week morning sipping coffee and working on this newsletter — to talk through the testing process. How, at one point, I took a hard turn and tried re-working the whole thing into a one-pot, stovetop situation. Spoiler Alert: it wasn’t impressive.

Why, yes, I do have a 3-ring binder filled with my earliest bylines and food styling jobs.

But you never mind all that. Please focus on making this, the coziest of all pasta bakes.

Here are some things I learned along the way:

1. Undercook the pasta - it continues to cook in the oven and soaks up all that gorgeous flavor.

2. Use two cheeses to up the flavor and creaminess. Bake the dish with Manchego which is slightly gooier, but add a generous sprinkle of parm before serving.

3. Bake at a mild 375 degrees to avoid breakage - heating it at 400+ sometimes causes the oil to separate from the cheese…It’s still a delicious dish, but not great for aesthetics.

Some other spots I diverged from the original recipe: I swapped guanciale (basically bacon, but pig cheek instead of belly) for the pancetta, but by all means, you can use pancetta or bacon instead. I also added a bit of sage, because why would you not this time of year?

The Spanish sheep’s milk Manchego is available in most grocery stores in the specialty section, but if you can’t get your hands on some, this recipe can certainly be made with all parm.

I’m so thankful for you dear reader. And also, perfect pasta bakes.

RECIPE

Creamy butternut pasta bake with guanciale, manchego, and sage. 

Serves 6 as a main course, 8 as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound dried penne or other short, sturdy noodle

1/4 pound guanciale or pancetta cut into ½ -inch pieces

1 White or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage sage

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces, or 1 20-ounce package of pre-cut squash.

Butter (for the dish)

1 cup grated Manchego cheese, grated on the large holes of the box grater

Parmesan cheese for serving (about ½ cup)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and get a large heavy-bottomed pot of salted water boiling. Boil the penne for 6 minutes stirring occasionally, (it won’t be fully cooked), and while that’s happening, chop your pancetta, onion, garlic, and sage. Grate the cheese, and butter a 9x13  inch baking dish.

2. Drain the pasta and transfer to the buttered baking dish. In the same large pot you cooked the pasta, cook the guanciale over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the fat renders and the edges begin to brown. Add the onion, season with a 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes. If things are looking too brown, turn the heat down to medium low.

3. Add the garlic and sage, and continue cooking for 2 minutes more. Stir in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits, and cook until the mixture comes to a boil.

4. Add the cream, nutmeg, and squash. Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Simmer the squash for 15 minutes or until tender.

5.. Pour the creamy squash sauce over the pasta, and stir to combine. Top with the shredded Manchego cheese, and bake for 25 minutes or until it is golden on top, and bubbling at the edges. Sprinkle on the parm cheese before serving.