Baked Shells with Butternut Squash- Freezer Meal (Ashley Pasko)

4 T Olive Oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
salt & pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 head of roasted garlic w/ cloves squeezed out and mashed
1 lb small pasta shells
1 pkg (12oz) frozen winter squash puree, thawed (I just baked a butternut squash until tender and then mashed with a little water to make my puree)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4 inch cubes


Heat 3 T oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until onions are soft and release their liquid (15 min). Uncover and raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions are browned, 20-25 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp rosemary and all of the roasted garlic.


Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the shortest cooking time on the package directions. Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.


Stir the squash and reserved pasta water into the onions. Simmer 2 minutes. Toss the squash mixture and 1/2 c parmesan with the pasta in the pot. Transfer to a foil baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Label foil with contents of dish.


Combine the bread cubes with remaining parmesan, rosemary and oil. Season with S&P. Place in a quart sized freezer ziplock bag. Seal and label. Tape the bag to the foil baking dish with your pasta in it. Freeze pasta and breadcrumb mixture.


To serve: completely thaw pasta dish in the fridge. Remove plastic wrap and foil. Sprinkle pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and heated through. It took mine about 45 minutes b/c the pasta was cold from being in the fridge. Place foil sheet loosely over top of pasta if the breadcrumbs start to brown too much before the pasta is hot and cooked through. If you don't freeze this dish and decide to bake it right away after assembling it, you will only need to bake it for about 15-20 minutes.