Thanksgiving Recipes – Butternut Squash with Spinach and Pasta

I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot stand green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup and crunchy dried onions on top {barf!} Do you think the Pilgrims ate that sort of crap?  No, no they did not.

So with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve decided to help save you from making the typical {boring} recipes that come from cans and mixes.  Yep, we are going old school baby. So tune in every afternoon from now until Thanksgiving and I’ll help you get ‘er done.

We’re making Thanksgiving dinner from scratch!

Butternut Squash with Spinach and Pasta –
{If the Pilgrims had some Italian friends in the next village over they totally would have made this}

Ingredients

1/2 of a butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 oz spaghetti
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Add the squash to boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes {you want the squash to still be a bit firm}.

Remove the squash with a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl. Bring the water back to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

While you are waiting for the pasta to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non stick skillet {I used my stir fry pan}.  Saute cooked butternut squash for 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Add spinach, stir, and cook until spinach just starts to wilt.

By now your pasta should be done.

Drain the pasta into a colander, and reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water. In the empty pasta pot, saute 2 tablespoons of butter and garlic for about 1 minute.  Add pasta water, stir and cook for another minute or two.  Add pasta, and butternut squash mixture and toss until coated with butter sauce.  Dish on to a large platter, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve warm.

Gobble Gobble!

Don’t want to get stuck talking to Uncle Frank about his bunions?  Perhaps the Thanksgiving Box Of Questions* might come in handy at the supper table.  Amazon currently has them in stock.

*Direct link to Amazon product