Penne with Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto

So, Alex's mom gave me this cookbook way back in the day, and it made me wonder "is she trying to tell me something?" But then I looked through the cookbook and decided that no, probably not, its just full of interesting and supposedly healthy recipes. The one thing that creeps me out is that it puts all of the meat in quotations (like Ovenfried "Chicken" and Cornbread, or "Meatloaf" and Gravy). Since they substitute weird things like Seitan (WHAT?!) and vegan cream, I'm going to avoid those.

Adapted From Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients:
1 box of Penne Wheat Pasta
1.5 lbs (or so) of Butternut Squash, sliced and cut up into 1-1.5 inch slices
5 tsp sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sage pesto
sliced toasted almonds for garnish (optional)

For the pesto:
1/4 cup whole almonds
1 1/2 cup fresh sage
3/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
3 oz light cream cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

First off, make the pesto first. I actually doubled the pesto recipe because I like leftovers, and my box of pasta was bigger than the recipe called for.

1. In a food processor, combine the almonds and garlic and pulse to roughly chop. Add the sage and parsley (and seriously, don't forget to wash your herbs) and pulse to chop. Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper and process into a paste.


2. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, processing until the oil is fully combined. Use immediately or transfer to a small container, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.


3. After your pesto is made, get your water boiling and start the pasta. Add about 1 1/2 tsp of the sea salt to the water beforehand. While your pasta is cooking, make the squash!

4. Heat the olive oil in a 10-12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 or 5 minutes.


Note: I found these pre cut-up squash pieces, and I was SO happy! Let me tell you, I have had some epic battles with peeling squash.

5. Stir in the shallots, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash and shallots are tender, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.


6. When the pasta is done, drain it. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water in case your pesto mixture is kind of dry. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the pesto. Add in the squash mixture, and add some of the pasta water if you feel like it (I didn't). Serve!