Um, happy December?
I’m just in shock right now. Literal and utter shock. Not so much about the fact that I just finally used my last squash that has been sitting on my counter for the last two months, but about the fact that the last eleven months of my life have passed me by without a care in the world. 2011, where in the heck did you go? Did you even exist? Am I making you up? Let’s make this last one-twelfth of the year last a little longer please. Except for the part where I am trying to manage the behavior of 21 hyper children who can’t wait for Winter Break.
Me too kids… me too.
So I’ve been thinking for a while about how I wanted to make a pasta dish with this squash. In fact, I’ve been plotting about it for at least two months while the poor butternut sat patiently on my counter while all the other squashii got used up before it. But then, you know, things happened — things like me not wanting to make dinner and having the Husband stop by my madre’s house to pick up chili so I didn’t have to cook. Or things like me craving refried beans so bad that a can of Trader Joe’s good stuff was all I needed to make me happy in the world. Or things like me just wanting to dip squash in as much ketchup as I possibly could — pasta was all too fancy and stuff.
Did I fail to mention all of those examples were from this past week? Somehow I’m missing 7 weeks worth of dinners where I did not use the b-nut to it’s optimal potential.
But then, today was December, and I thought December was as good a time as any to make butternut squash pasta — even though I made it in November because it was last night’s dinner. Have I lost you yet?
This was another one of those dishes I set down in front of the Husband and immediately began praying (perhaps out loud) that he would accept it, try it, and love it. I may have gotten a “what’s this orange stuff?” question — and after I lovingly told him that all unidentifiable orange food I serve has to be squash, he took a few bites.. and then a few more.. and then a few more.. and soon the plate was empty and being scraped with a fork.
Victory.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Pasta
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ready In: 55 minutes
- 1 package brown rice spaghetti (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 1 medium sized butternut squash (~3 pounds)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp. basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- nutritional yeast for garnishing (optional)
Directions: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin by peeling your entire squash before cutting it. After it has been peeled, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Then, cube the squash by cutting it into 1 inch pieces. Line two cookie sheets with foil, spray with cooking spray, and layer the butternut squash on the sheets — roast for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway.
With approximately 25 minutes left for the butternut squash to cook, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Cook your pasta according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.
After you put the water on for your pasta, dice 1/2 onion and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to a large fry pan and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add your onion and garlic. Stir frequently until translucent (~5 minutes) and add your can of drained/rinsed chickpeas. Lower the heat and cover for 5-10 minutes to heat the chickpeas through.
Once your squash is cooked, add your pasta, squash, chickpeas/onions, remaining 3 tbsp. olive oil, and spices to a large serving bowl. Toss to coat and serve.
I was “mmm’ing” so loud while I was eating this that I may or may not have pretended not to hear the Husband tell me he really likes it best when there is meat in his pasta dishes.
Ignorance is bliss my friends.
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }