Garlic, rapini and squash combine deliciously in this heart-healthy recipe.

Casarecce is a sort of twisted, scroll-shaped pasta. It and gemelli, which consists of short, intertwined strands of pasta, are perfect for thick dishes like this. Their nooks and crannies grab and hold sauce to give you more flavour in every bite.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 1 fresh Thai chili, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp chili flakes)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 3/4" pieces
• 1 lb uncooked casarecce or gemelli pasta
• 1 bunch rapini, stems removed, chopped
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 cup firm ricotta cheese
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chili and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and the garlic is lightly golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2 Place the squash on a baking sheet and cover with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-chili oil, tossing to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash is tender and beginning to brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, cover with foil to keep warm and set aside.

3 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add the chopped rapini to the pot and cook along with the pasta. Drain the pasta and rapini together in a large colander and return both to the pot.

4 Stir the remaining garlic-chili oil, reserved roasted butternut squash and lime zest into the pasta. Break up the ricotta into chunks and carefully stir through the pasta mixture. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

Prep and cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 4