Servings: 4

20 oz butternut squash, cut into cube 20 oz butternut squash, cut into cube
20 oz cheese tortellini 20 oz cheese tortellini
12 oz bacon, chopped 12 oz bacon, chopped
Sage leaves Sage leaves
Red pepper flakes Red pepper flakes
5 oz spinach 5 oz spinach
4 T bacon grease 4 T bacon grease

For the first night: subheading: For the first night:
Preheat oven 450°F.
Toss butternut squash cubes with oil and salt and roast on a sheet-pan in a 450°F oven until squash is fork-tender and golden brown around the edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Put half of squash away for leftovers
Meanwhile, boil the tortellini, putting half away for leftovers
Fry up chopped bacon until crispy in a large skillet; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving bacon fat in skillet. Put half of bacon and fat away for leftovers
Add drained pasta to the fat in skillet along with some sage leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (both optional!) and cook just until sage is fragrant and tortellini is ever so slightly crisped.
Stir in roasted butternut squash and bacon, and serve. To add some greens, stir in a couple of handfuls of escarole or spinach along with the tortellini and wilt slightly in the hot bacon fat.
For leftovers: subheading: For leftovers:
Warm butternut squash.
Heat bacon fat and add drained pasta to the fat in skillet along with some sage leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (both optional!) and cook just until sage is fragrant and tortellini is ever so slightly crisped.
Stir in roasted butternut squash and bacon, and serve. To add some greens, stir in a couple of handfuls of escarole or spinach along with the tortellini and wilt slightly in the hot bacon fat.