2 acorn squash, cut in half, and seeds scooped out
2 garlic cloves
4 T olive oil, divided
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup light cream
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup pepitas*
3 T fresh pomegranate seeds
2 teaspoons chipotle en adobo*
1 teaspoon chile ancho powder (optional)*
4 cups pasta (I like to use a flat shaped pasta such as rombi)
½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Toss the squash halves with about two tablespoons of the olive oil, and season with salt and some pepper. Place the halves cut side down on a baking tray, and roast for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender.
When the squash is cool enough to handle, peel off the thick green skin, and fork mash it well.
Toast the pepitas in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil until inflated. Turn them out into a bowl. Toss the walnuts into the same pan and shake around as well. When they are nice and brown, transfer them into the same bowl as the pepitas. Sprinkle both with a hint of salt and the chile ancho powder, if using.
Start getting ready to cook the pasta by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large pan, heat up the rest of the olive oil and add the garlic and squash. Stir. Pour in the broth, and mix it well with the squash.
Let it reduce slightly, then add the cream, and stir again. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer and reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the chipotle en adobo and season the sauce to your liking. You want it to be nice and thick, but not too dense to be poured over the pasta. Take it off the heat once it is done.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water to al dente, according to the instructions on the package.
Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of its cooking water, and return it to the pot.
Pour the acorn squash sauce over the cooked pasta, and loosen up with the cooking water if necessary.
Place a serving of pasta and sauce in each bowl, and then sprinkle with the toasted walnuts and pepitas. Garnish with some shredded Gruyere, and last but not least, some of the fresh pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy!

*Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, and can be found in the dried fruits and nuts sections of most grocery stores.
*You can find little tins of chipotle en adobo in the International sections of some supermarkets, as well as in international grocery stores.
*Chile Ancho powder is the ground form of Ancho Chiles, which are popular in Mexican cooking. You can find this spice in many supermarkets nowadays. If you do not use it, make sure you season the pepitas and walnuts with salt instead.

Note: You can always bake the squash and garlic ahead of time, and finish the sauce when you are ready to prepare dinner.

October 31, 2007 | Email this Recipe | 1 Comment
Tags: Cheese, Chiles, Entrees, Healthy, high-fiber, Latin America, Nuts, Pasta, Vegetarian, Vitamin A
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