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Friday, February 6, 2009

Irresistible Alphabet Pasta and Butternut Squash Medley

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Here is another one of my kids favorite meals. I love it too, by the way. It has just enough appeal to make it interesting for adults and the basics which kids wolf down like ravenous beasts.


There are really only five ingredients for this one:

Pasta
Butternut Squash
Parmesan Cheese
Butter or Margarine
An Orange
Salt and Pepper to taste

Adorned with your favorite apron, boil water and cook your pasta until done. (You know how to do this already...) I tend to cook a touch longer than it says on the package for kid chewability... Thick type pasta like bow ties or spirals or shells would do here. I especially like the Trader Joe's brand multi-colored alphabet pasta.

On proportions: Adjust proportions of all ingredients to fit your households size...

Meanwhile, cut skin off butternut squash and slice the orange colored flesh into one inch or bigger sized cubes. I tend to cook about 3-4 cups of squash for this recipe, but adjust to your family size. I place the cubes in a 4 cup measuring cup. Then fill cup with water until squash is submerged. Then with a plate over the top (to keep in steam) I pop the squash into the microwave on high for 9-11 minutes (or until soft enough that a fork easily passes through it). But you can cook by boiling in a pot on the stove top just as well.

After draining pasta and cooked butternut squash, I put them both in a large mixing bowl and add about a tablespoon of butter. Then I gently mix letting the butter melt.

Now here's where you can go wild or not. I tend to put a lot of Parmesan cheese into the mix, gently folding it into the pasta and butternut squash.

Finally, cut an orange in half and squeeze the juice into the medley giving every thing one last gentle toss. For some reason the sweet, fresh squeezed orange brightens the flavor of the pasta and squash. Salt and Pepper and eat up!!!

6 Goddesses Have Spoken:

jewelstreet said...

Sounds very healthy and appealing. Wonder if I could get the fam to eat it.

•´.¸¸.•¨¯`♥.Erin.♥´¯¨•.¸¸.´• said...

Mmmm sounds good!

Grand Pooba said...

Wow, that is a recipe I have never heard of before. I love butternut squash everything! Plus I think my husband would appreciate the alphabet pasta so he can try to spell words as he eats.

Anonymous said...

It looks delicious!

Kendra said...

This is wonderful...so yummy!

Erika said...

This sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.