Healthy Butternut Squash Rotini Is A Quick Vitamin-Packed Light Entree or Side Dish. It’s a dish loved by vegans and non-vegans alike!
Healthy Butternut Squash Rotini
Healthy Butternut Squash Rotini is a flavorful way to get more plant-based meals into your family’s diet. Pesto is traditionally high in fat, but for this recipe we cut the cheese way down. There is fat in the olive oil and nuts, but because it is not animal-based, it is the healthier unsaturated kind. For a parve version, use our vegan parmesan. Traditional pesto uses pignoli or pine nuts. These nuts are expensive so we switched to the more economical almonds. If you have pine nuts, feel free to use them instead.
More and more, health professionals are recommending that Americans try to “eat the rainbow”. Delicious butternut squash gets its orange color from carotene. It is high in Vitamin A which helps support vision, and one cup of this squash has more potassium than a banana.
What is the best way to cut up butternut squash?
A little-known fact is that all of the seeds in the squash are in the bulb. When shopping, pick one with a long neck and then cut off the bulb. You can then peel the squash and chop it according to the recipe instructions without any pesky seeds.
What should I do with the butternut squash seeds?
If you like to garden, you can wash the seeds and store them for planting in warm weather. (There may be more to it than that but I cannot in good conscience give anyone gardening advice). More to my expertise is to turn them into a snack: Toss the seeds with a little olive oil and salt and roast in a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.
What is a good substitute for butternut squash?
Any winter squash such as acorn, hubbard or buttercup can be used. For this recipe, I think carrots would work as well.
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Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater
Healthy Butternut Squash Rotini
Ingredients
- 12 ounces multigrain rotini
- 4 cups butternut squash peeled and diced
- 1 cup almonds sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel fresh
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated; optional
Instructions
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Heat a large pot of water to boiling over high heat. Add rotini and butternut squash and cook for 8-10 minutes.
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In a food processor or blender, chop onions and garlic. Add basil, lemon peel, salt and black pepper. Process until all ingredients are finely chopped but not pureed.
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Remove 2/3 cup cooking water from the pasta/butternut squash before draining . Set aside.
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Add olive oil and pasta water to the processor in a narrow stream.
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Add parmesan if using, and mix into pesto.,
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Drain pasta and squash. In a large serving dish, toss with pesto sauce.
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Garnish with basil and additional parmesan if you like.
Recipe Notes
This recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine.
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