Spicy Winter Squash and Sausage Pasta

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 ( 2- pound) butternut or other orange- fleshed winter squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeded

Sea salt

1 ounce guajillo chiles ( about 3 chiles), stemmed, deseeded and torn into small pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, freshly ground

¼ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds, freshly ground

1 teaspoon chile flakes, freshly ground, or ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

10 ounces dried penne rigate

8 ounces ground pork

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 ½ teaspoons Sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and brush with 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil. Salt the squash flesh with ¼ teaspoon salt per half, place cut- side down, and brush top skin with any excess oil on the sheet pan. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Flip the squash and let cool. Scoop the squash into 1 ½ - inch chunks onto the sheet pan.

While the squash roasts, add the chiles to a small pan over medium heat and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add enough water to just cover the chiles, bring to a simmer, turn off heat and let soak until softened. Once the chiles are soft, grind into a paste with 3- 4 tablespoons of the soaking liquid, tomato paste and ground spices. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente; save 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat a Dutch oven or the same pasta cooking pot over medium low heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot add the pork and cook, pounding with a blunt- edge wooden spoon until you have small crumbles that are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, garlic and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir the chile- spice paste into the pan and cook until onion and garlic are very soft and the color has darkened and thoroughly stained the pork and onion mixture, about 10- 12 minutes. It should taste spicy and salty but will be tempered by the pasta and squash.

Stir the pasta and the Sherry vinegar into the pot and stir well to coat. Add the squash and half the oregano and stir gently to not break up the squash but disperse it well. Serve on plates with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil drizzled over the top followed by the remaining oregano sprinkled over.