Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat the oven to 425°F. Peel and seed enough butternut squash to make 3 cups. Cut it into irregular 1-inch cubes with firm downward strokes. Toss the cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Spread them 1/2 inch apart and roast for 22 to 26 minutes. Turn each cube at minute 14. The cut faces should turn deep amber while the centers stay firm enough to lift. You’ll smell toasted thyme near minute 20. My first crowded batch steamed instead of browning. Extra space fixed it. Go past 28 minutes and the cubes start collapsing. High heat browns the squash before its centers turn mushy.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a full 212°F boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add 12 ounces penne rigate and stir through the center for the first 60 seconds. Cook for 10 to 11 minutes and stir every 2 minutes. Drain well and spread the penne in a large bowl for 10 minutes at room temperature. The tubes should bend without splitting and their centers should show no chalky white core. Steam will fade after about 6 minutes. Stop too early and the chilled pasta stays hard. Cool too long uncovered and the surface dries. Cooling sets the starch so the dressing coats instead of disappearing.

Set a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat at about 4 on a 10-dial. Add 3/4 cup pecan halves in one loose layer. Toast for 4 to 6 minutes and shake the skillet every 30 seconds. Turn any pale halves with a spoon at minute 3 so both faces meet the heat. The pecans should deepen from tan to warm brown and smell buttery by minute 5. Listen for a faint dry crackle. The warm aroma should reach you clearly. Leave them still for more than 60 seconds and the thin edges can scorch. Gentle moving heat releases the oils without making them bitter.

Keep the dressing ingredients between 68°F and 72°F. Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil with 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for 20 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Add 1 grated garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk briskly for 60 to 90 seconds. The dressing should look amber and slightly opaque instead of striped with separate oil. It should coat a spoon in a thin glossy film. Stop before 60 seconds and it separates across the pasta. Whisk past 2 minutes and excess air dulls the sheen. Strong whisking disperses the oil into a stable temporary emulsion.

Add the roasted squash and 3/4 cup dried cranberries to the cooled penne. Add 2 cups baby arugula and 4 ounces crumbled feta. Scatter in 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley. Pour in all but 2 tablespoons of dressing. Fold with 12 to 15 broad scoops and rest the salad for 15 minutes at 68°F to 72°F. Fall Pasta Salad Recipes with Cozy Harvest Flavor should look glossy while the orange cubes and dark cranberries remain distinct. The arugula should soften slightly without turning limp. Fold harder and the squash smears into the penne. Skip the rest and the flavor stays sharp on the surface. Gentle folding protects the cubes while resting lets the pasta absorb seasoning.

Let the salad sit at 65°F to 70°F for 3 minutes before plating. Spoon one quarter into a small white pasta bowl in loose overlapping mounds. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon reserved dressing across the top. Add one quarter of the toasted pecans and the remaining 1 ounce feta. Turn several squash cubes browned-side up. The finished portion should show glossy penne and deep amber squash beside dark cranberries and bright parsley. Pecans should sit mostly on top and stay dry. Garnish more than 5 minutes early and the nuts lose their snap. Press the mound flat and the salad looks heavy. Late garnishing preserves contrast and keeps every texture recognizable.