Ingredients (for 4-6 persons)
- penne pasta (use 1 lb for every 5 persons)
- a pound or more of winter squash, diced into small pieces
- a branch of fresh rosemary
- 1/2 leek
- Parmesan cheese (q.b., ie, “quanto basta” or “as much as you need”)
- extra virgin olive oil, q. b. (Note: accept NO substitutes for extra virgin olive oil – and if possible, use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil….from Umbria!)
- salt, pepper q. b
- diced prosciutto, a slice
- fresh ricotta, about 1-1/2 c
Dice winter squash. Put pasta water on to boil. Cut and then wash leek. Chop into small pieces. Cover saucepan with extra-virign olive oil and simmer leeks in olive oil, until golden. Add diced prosciutto to leeks and simmer, then diced squash to simmering leeks and diced prosciutto and a branch of fresh rosemary and salt as needed and continue simmering. Simmer cover on low heat about 20-30 minutes.
Remove rosemary branch. Add ladleful of boiling water as needed to mixture so that it will become creamy. Remove squash mixture from heat and put in mixing bowl. Add fresh ricotta and black pepper and mix.
Put squash, ricotta mixture on stove and simmer on very low heat as you cook the penne pasta in abundant salted boiling water. Drain pasta when al dente. Stir in hot squash/ricotta mixture. Add black pepper as desired and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Serve and enjoy.
