Butternut Squash Pasta

I was looking for a good recipe to use up the butternut squash I just bought. My friend Jane came to my rescue with this awesome pasta recipe. She made a pumpkin version of it that was so delicious. So I made the squash version of it and it didn’t disappoint.  It’s like spaghetti on crack. I couldn’t stop eating it, and the HH kept trying to stop me so there would be leftovers to take in his lunch tomorrow. I’d say that makes it a hit!

Ingredients

1 pound pasta {any kind will do}
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 handfuls of chopped spinach, kale or swiss chard
3 1/2 cups cooked and pureed butternut squash
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons pesto {How to Make and Freeze Pesto}
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the spinach until wilted but not browned. Add the squash, broth and pesto, stirring to combine. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. In a small bowl, mix one cup of the cooked sauce with the cornstarch and stir well with a fork until completely dissolved. Add this back into the sauce pan and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir gently to coat. You can stop at this step and serve this dish as is, or continue with the next step to make a pasta casserole.

Pour into a 2 quart baking dish AND an 8-inch loaf pan, both greased with cooking spray {might seem like an odd pan combo, but all the pasta fits into it perfectly}. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy.

If you love this recipe, you’ll love all the rest of Jane’s recipe found in her delicious cookbook: Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook. It’s simply AWESOME! She even has it on Amazon as an eBook!