Usually I don’t feel like breaking out squash and other fall vegetables until October, when it truly feels like fall. But here in New York, there was already an autumnal breeze in the air mid-September, so I enjoyed this meal to ease into the season: a hearty pasta with butternut squash, radicchio, and bacon. The recipe is originally from the late, sure-to-be lamented Gourmet, but I made a few tweaks — namely, switching to ziti, which is easier to fork up with the vegetables. I also added some bacon, which lent a nice smoky note to the sweetness of the squash, the bitterness of the radicchio, and the tanginess of the ricotta salata cheese. Open a bottle of red, toss together a simple green salad, and you’ve got a cozy fall dinner! –Lisa C. Click for fall pasta!

Pasta with butternut squash, radicchio, bacon, and ricotta salata
Makes 4 to 6 servings

* 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1/3 cup pine nuts
* 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 5 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch long pieces
* 3/4 lb. radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
* 1 box ziti
* 1/2 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata or Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 ounce)

Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, then continue to cook until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add oil, then nuts, and cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

Add squash to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bacon and radicchio and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the radicchio is wilted and tender and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to radicchio mixture with 1/2 cup cooking water and toss over low heat until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more cooking water to moisten if necessary.

Serve topped with nuts and cheese.