penne-with-butternut-squash-and-fresh-fenne

PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FRESH FENNE

Ready in a jiffy, this scrumptious pasta pairs the silky, subtle anise notes of fennel bulb with walnuts, earthy whole grain pasta, and sweet butternut squash. Bonus: This is a one-pot meal, so no messy cleanup!

Ingredient

2 medium fennel bulbs
8 oz. dry whole grain penne
1 cup chopped onion
1½ cups cubed fresh butternut squash
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Direction

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Remove stems from fennel bulbs; trim and coarsely chop the fronds. Halve bulbs, then cut into ¼-inch-thick slices.
Add penne and onion to boiling water. Cook according to package directions for the pasta, adding squash and sliced fennel bulb the last 7 minutes of cooking.
Reserve 3 cups cooking water. Drain pasta and vegetables. Return pasta and vegetables to pot. Add 1 to 1½ cups cooking water and ¼ to ½ cup chopped fennel fronds to pot; toss to coat. Add additional reserved cooking water if desired for saucier pasta. Sprinkle with walnuts.