Whole Wheat Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ground Lamb, and Halloumi

You may have noticed by now that I am a big fan of other peoples food blogs. I am not one of those people that just throws random things together for dinner.  I like collecting recipes, I enjoy planning my grocery list, and I love directions... yes I realize that I am completely type A.  I am sure that I could use my imagination and come up with something on my own but I would much prefer to follow the directions of other bloggers and cookbook authors.

Eats Well with Others is a food blog that Brady recently came across and so many of the recipes look great. Brady found this recipe last week and made it for me on Saturday night.  It was awesome!  The squash went perfectly with the ground lamb and I loved the cinnamon and cumin flavor.  One of the other things that I loved about this dish was that it wasn't heavy.  While it's a pasta dish it only uses 8 ounces of whole wheat pasta (and yes, you only need the 8 oz) and the bulk of the dish really comes from the squash. 

Whole Wheat Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ground Lamb, and Halloumi
** from Eats Well with Others
print recipe

Serves: 2-4

1 (2 lb) butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and chopped into smaller cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz ground lamb
2 1/2 cups onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
8 oz multi-grain or whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 cup grated halloumi or kasseri cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 450.  Spray squash with olive oil cooking spray.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Transfer squash to a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until tender and brown around the edges, 30-35 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add lamb and onions.  Saute until lamb is browned and onions soften, about 7-8 minutes.  Add garlic and the next 3 ingredients; stir 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Stir in squash.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water until just tender but still firm to the bite.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.  Return pasta to the pot.  Add lamb mixture, half of the cilantro, and half of the cheese.  Toss.  Add reserved cooking liquid as needed to moisten.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to bowls and garnish with remaining cilantro and cheese.