"Is It Fall Yet?" Pasta

I love fall. I love fingerless gloves and sweaters. I love falling leaves. I love that it's just warm enough during the day to not need a jacket, but cool enough at night that you can leave the window open and cuddle under a blanket. But right now I'm just confused.
Is it the end of summer? Is it the beginning of fall? It's hard to say because I just got tomatoes and an acorn squash in my CSA distribution. There are still green beans. I can still get local basil. But there are WINTER SQUASH. It's 60 one day and 80 the next. You don't know whether to wear a light sweater and jeans or a sundress. You're unsure as to whether or not your tights should come out of the under-the-bed box they've been stored in since April.

But at least one thing isn't confusing. This pasta is delicious. And you can only make it now.

So do it.

Really.

"Is It Fall Yet?" Pasta
1 medium acorn squash
1/2 lb whole wheat linguine
1/4 lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 large tomato
4 oz kale, thick stems removed
1 large garlic clove
1/4 c + 2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 c basil, torn

Preheat the oven to 350. Halve the squash and remove the seeds (reserve them to toast later). Remove the blossom and stem ends from the squash and then cut the squash into 1" thick slices. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once, or until the squash slices are golden brown and tender. Set aside and allow to cool a bit.

Once the squash has cooled, peel the skin off (or don't if it's a young squash and the skin is tender), and cut into chunks.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. In the last minute or two of cooking, add the green beans. Drain and set aside (toss with a bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking).

Heat 2 T of olive oil to the pot over medium heat. Add the garlic. Cook until it starts to sizzle a bit. Add the tomatoes. Cook until softened. Add the chunks of squash and the kale. Cook until the kale begins to soften. Add the pasta and green beans to the pot. Add the olive oil, start with 2 T, if the pasta seems too dry, add more, a tablespoon at a time. Add the basil. Toss again. Top with cheese if desired.

Serves 4