Penne With Acorn Squash And Pancetta

I did change the recipe a bit in that I used a scant teaspoon of rosemary.  (I had been to the garden once and I wasn't going back:)  It was good.  My husband wanted more rosemary, but I was happy with the lesser amount.  It does take sometime to get this done, but a good bit of it is inactive time, so it isn't a really busy recipe.  The overall dish was really great.  I loved the pancetta/squash combo.  It is similar to a butternut squash recipe I have for pasta, but it is with sage.  I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other.  I am totally behind on posts; I only have recipes and dates in posts, so these next few ones are going to be short.  :)


Penne With Acorn Squash And Pancetta

1 acorn squash
1 small head of garlic
1/2 Lb penne
2 Tsp olive oil plus more for coating squash and garlic
1/2 Lb pancetta sliced 1/4-inch thick and diced
1/4 Cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut each
half crosswise into wedges, about 1/2-inch thick. Toss the wedges with a
splash of olive oil until coated, and spread on a baking sheet. Season
with salt and pepper.
slice the top off of the garlic head so that the tops of the cloves are
exposed. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper,
and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the edge of the baking sheet with
the squash.
Bake the squash and garlic for about 30 minutes, turning the squash once,
until both are soft and slightly caramelized. (Depending on how big the
head of garlic is, it may take longer. Leave it in the oven while you
peel and chop the squash.)

Allow the squash to cool slightly. In the meantime, bring a pot of water
to boil (for the pasta). Then, peel each wedge of squash and cut into
large chunks.
Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium stock pot
or large, wide sauce pan (you'll add the pasta to this pan at the end).
Saut the pancetta until most of the fat is rendered and the meat is
crispy, about 15 minutes. About halfway through, cook the pasta, making
sure to salt the water.
When the pancetta is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon and
set aside. Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping up any brown bits on
the bottom. Stir in the rosemary and about four cloves of the roasted
garlic, mashing them up in the liquid with the back of a spoon or
spatula.
Add the chunks of squash and pancetta to the pan. Drain the pasta,
reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the
squash/pancetta mixture. Toss everything to coat, then stir in the
Parmesan. Add a bit of the pasta water if the mixture seems too dry.