Butternut Squash Pasta

I love Pinterest because it is a great way for me to find new recipes. Now with Jared being a vegan, he has made cooking for our family even harder. This recipe only had a little parmesan cheese, and butter that can easily be subsituted for olive oil. My kids were nervous to try it but really liked the sweet flavor.

Butternut Squash Pasta
Recipe and picture from: www.skinnytaste.com

13 oz. whole wheat pasta. I used spaghetti
1 medium size butternut squash
1 leek
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
vegetable or chicken broth, optional

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the stem, and end off of your butternut squash. Slice in half length wise and scoop out all the seeds and strings. Spray, or brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkly lightly with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and cook 40-50 minutes until squash come away easily from skin. Scoop out the flesh and put in a processor and blend until smooth. If you don't want to cook it this way, you can peel and cube your squash and boil it until tender. I just don't like doing more cutting than necessary. After you puree your squash, set it aside. And set a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.

Slice the leek, using the white part only. Saute it in butter until the leeks have become soft and translucent. Add your garlic, stir for a minute, and add the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper. It will be thick. Thin out the sauce by using some reserved pasta water, or vegetable/chicken broth. Once you have the consistency you want, add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine, serve immediately with more parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe and Picture from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

I made this dish last night, and everyone loved it. My 2 year old practically inhaled it. This was a relief because I have only made spaghetti squash one other time, and I was not a fan and neither was the kids. I think the key is brushing the sides with olive oil, and seasoning before cooking.

To cook the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squashes stem off, then cut in half lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and then get a fork and scrape the sides, getting all the stringy strands and transfer to another dish.

You can make the sauce while the squash is roasting. For the sauce you will need:
2 red bell peppers
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
fresh basil (Ijust used dry)
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill, turning to get all sides until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
 In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor. Put on top of spaghetti squash and enjoy.

After making this, I may alter the recipe to include more roasted pepper, and less tomato as I enjoy the roasted pepper taste more.