In honor of the first day of Fall, I thought I’d get into the spirit by experimenting with a fall staple and my favorite food – pasta. Now full disclaimer, prior to this I’ve never even had a butternut squash (whoops) so imagine my surprise when I discovered it was sweeter than expected! While not what I would normally use as a go to recipe, it was a great change of pace with a slight sweetness that most of my sauces lack. A perfect dish to celebrate this fall weather – enjoy!!
Ingredients
- 1/2 box of penne (or pasta of your choice)
- 1 tomato
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1/2 of a butternut squash
- EVOO
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Pasta water
Directions
Microwave your butternut squash for approx 8 minutes to get it somewhat soft – I did this so that I wouldn’t be baking it in the oven for over an hour. Add your butternut squash (whole) to a baking dish with your sliced tomatoes and onions. Cover in EVOO, salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. You’ll know the veggies are done when you can scoop the butternut squash with a spoon. Once the veggies are done, scoop out the butternut squash and add to a blender with the tomato and onions. Add salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of chicken broth and some pasta water and blend until smooth.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add EVOO & garlic. After 30 seconds, add spinach and saute in the garlic. Add butternut sauce directly to pan and let simmer.
Once pasta is al dente, save 1-2 cups of pasta water depending on your sauce consistency. My sauce was a little too thick once I added parmesan cheese so I needed extra pasta water. Add pasta directly to to the sauce with parmesan cheese and pasta water and mix. Enjoy!
Eat Drink Orlando 