SO, now that I’ve claimed to not be a “Pasta Girl”, well…I’ve made pasta.
But after that amazing Hazelnut Agnolotti with butternut squash we ate at Josephine last week, who can blame me for wanting more pasta??
We had some friends over for dinner last Thursday evening after work and I needed something I could whip up in a reasonable time. I came across a Butternut Squash Pasta recipe from Oh She Glow’s a while back and with butternut squash in season, I knew I had to give it a try!
I didn’t have all the same ingredients on hand, but with several adaptions I came up with a similar dish that turned out quite tasty. And who says pasta can’t be healthy? Check out those lovely baby spinach leaves!
I don’ t know about you, but I have come to adore chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and their slight (or sometimes not so slight) smokey flavor. They were a great addition to the mix.
For the pasta, I used Trader Joe’s Organic Whole Wheat Penne Pasta. Although Pasta is a carbohydrate and is high on the glycemic index, whole wheat pasta is a healthier alternative as it contains unprocessed whole wheat flour, which allows its natural bran, germ, fiber, vitamins and minerals to remain intact. White pasta does not contain any of these healthy nutrients, making whole wheat pasta a better option.
Overall, I was pleased with how quickly the meal came together. The squash took about 40 minutes to roast in the oven, but that gave me time to cook the pasta, throw together a salad, toast some sprouted bread and prep my other ingredients for the sauce.
I’ve mentioned my little Nutribullet before, but once again, this sauce is a perfect example of its convenience and functionality. After the butternut squash was roasted, I added it to the Nutribullet cup, threw in all other ingredients and blended for 45-60 seconds. Just like that my sauce we made and the cleanup was quick and painless!
And of course, we had to top it with a little Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheese, because that’s what you do with pasta, right?!?
For the salad, I just used mixed greens, chickpeas, parmesan cheese, pecans and dried cranberries. Nothing overly fancy but it added some additional nutrients to the meal.
If you’re a pasta fan, or are looking for an excuse to use up your butternut squash in a more unconventional way, this recipe is for you!
Chipotle Butternut Squash Sauce with Penne Pasta and Spinach
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light feta cheese
- 1 butternut squash 2 cups diced, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp Chipotle pepper in adobe sauce
- 1 package Organic Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
- 6-8 cups Organic Baby Spinach chopped
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Romano Asiago Cheese blend
Instructions
- Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a baking sheet with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Spread out chopped squash on pan, spray lightly with additional coconut oil spray, toss to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Add the feta cheese, almond milk, garlic, ground flaxseed, lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, sea salt, chipotle pepper, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and saute chopped spinach until cooked.
- Drain the pasta, then add back to pot, add cooked spinach and butternut squash sauce. Stir to combine and cook over medium until heated throughout, then serve immediately.
Nutrition
Adapted from Oh She Glow’s Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Greens
