Ingredients

10 ounces gluten-free penne or spiral pasta

1 pound peeled, cubed, cooked butternut squash

1 cup canned light coconut milk

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ pound bacon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh sage

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Do not rinse pasta.
2. To make the sauce, place cooked butternut squash, coconut milk, salt, pepper flakes (if using) and nutmeg in a blender or food processor container and blend until smooth.
3. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium hear until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan, and place on a paper towel-lines plate or cutting board. Add onion to skillet and cook until softened and browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Crumble bacon and return to pan along with butternut squash sauce and sage. Heat sauce until it begins to bubble. Stir in pasta and reserved cooking water; stir until all the pasta is coated in sauce.
5. Place pasta on serving plates and garnish with dried cranberries, parsley and freshly ground black pepper.