Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

This always happens when I see Mac and Cheese on a menu or have to make it for the kids I'm babysitting:  I instantly crave this classic comfort food and HAVE TO MAKE IT ASAP.

Not only did I see it on the menu at Sublime in San Marcos the other day, but Mac and Cheese was featured on a local news segment in the morning.  The nutritionist was talking about how to make "Kid Food" healthier and still delicious.  She threw a bunch of ingredients in a pot, including butternut squash, and talked about how this dish could be totally vegan by just leaving out the butter and not adding the parmesan sprinkled on at the end.  Bingo.  That was what I was making for dinner.

I tried to find her recipe on the news station's website, but it must not have been updated yet.  I found this one from Oh She Glows instead.  It looked to be about the same.  I didn't title this dish as a "Mac and Cheese" because it wasn't as cheesy-tasting as some of the other ones I've made.  It was more just deliciously creamy. 

It is a bit time-intensive with roasting the squash and everything, but it was worth it in the end.  The dish was really good and flavorful.  I'm always suspicious of how my omnivore husband is going to respond to substitution dishes like this, but he loved it and ate a huge plate piled high with the creamy pasta.  We discovered that sprinkling some Tapa Tio hot sauce on it was AMAZING.  The spicy sauce complemented the sweet, creaminess of the butternut squash perfectly.  I only added two garlic cloves, and it probably could have used one or two more.  I also added some chopped Kale and chunks of the roasted butternut squash.

Curried Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew

There are so many things to do with butternut squash, I couldn't decide how I wanted to make it!  Finally I decided on this recipe from Chloe's Kitchen.  She makes it with apples, which I replaced with brussel sprouts.  I also didn't used the spinach and added navy beans instead.

Here is the recipe, and it is wonderful for this time of year!  (By the way, "this time of year" should normally mean cool and chilly and stuff like that, but it's still about 90 degrees for us, so I like to pretend.)

 *
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup dried lentils (I used red lentils from Trader Joes)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups peeled butternut squash, 1/2 inch cubes
1 large unpeeled apple, diced (I used about 6 fresh brussul sprouts, halved and roasted)
5 ounces baby spinach (1/2 can of navy beans in my case)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, and saute onions and carrots until almost soft.  Add garlic, ginger, curry, and salt, and cook a few more minutes until fragrant.  Stir in lentils, broth, and tomato paste.  Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.  Add squash [and apples,] cover, and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until vegetables and lentils are tender.  [Uncover and stir in spinach until wilted.]  Add salt to taste and serve. 

*copied straight from Chloe's Kitchen Cookbook

Squash...Butternut and Spaghetti

 

First of all,  I had an untouched butternut squash that never made it to Thanksgiving dinner.  Second of all, it's now Sunday, and we need to finish up the leftovers.  

I used this recipe from the Follow Your Heart cookbook to make the homemade butternut squash soup.  

Butternut Squash Soup

3 pounds butternut squash
4 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups mushroom stock (see recipe below)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cut squash into four to six large pieces. Remove the seeds and peel off the skin. Cut squash into 1-inch pieces and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed 3- to 4-quart soup pot, melt the margarine. Add the onion and sauté for five minutes over low heat, stirring frequently until onion is barely translucent. Add the squash pieces and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Add mushroom stock and bring the soup to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until squash is very tender.

Puree soup in a food processor or blender. Return soup to pot and reheat slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with parsley.

Makes four to six servings.

Mushroom Stock

8 cups water

2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

2 pounds mushrooms, minced (use food processor)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons sea salt

In a large stock pot, combine water, onions, mushrooms, lemon juice, and salt.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 1/4 hours, partially covered.  Allow to cool.  Strain through a fine sieve.  Store, refrigerated, for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. 

Finally, we finished up the last of Thanksgiving dinner:  mashed potatoes, spaghetti squash, and Grandma's relish and gluten-free patties.  I should mention at this point that this food is W's favorite food ever.  Not only has he been eating it every day since Thanksgiving last Thursday, but tonight he happily piled his plate high with the last of everything and scraped it all clean!  We didn't have any more gravy (much to his chagrin) so he drizzled the butternut squash soup over everything and then I didn't hear him speak for about ten minutes while he chowed down.  

Also, I am very proud of my butternut squash soup -- totally from scratch, stock and all!  Very delicious.  Thank you, Follow Your Heart!