Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Ham

Ingredients

• 2 pounds butternut squash peeled halved lengthwise seeded cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1.3 teaspoons sage dried
• 0.1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper black
• 0.5 cup half-and-half 
• 0.3 pound ham smoked black such as forest, cut into thin strips sliced
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 0.3 cup parmesan grated
• 0.8 pound penne pasta 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 3  scallions including tops green chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• pot

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 45
2. Put the squash on a large baking sheet and toss with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and sage.
3. Spread the squash out in a single layer. Roast, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone, half-and-half, scallions, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
5. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water and drain. Return the pasta to the hot pan. Stir in the squash, mascarpone sauce, and ham. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta-cooking water.
6. Serve topped with the Parmesan.
7. Variations
8. Instead of butternut squash, roast cubes of another winter squash, such as pumpkin or acorn squash--or try roasting cubed sweet potatoes.
9. Wine Recommendation: A Gewurztraminer from Alsace may sound like an unusual choice here, but try it; you'll be surprised at how beautifully the sweet butternut squash and salty ham blend with the wine's rich, spicy flavors.