Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

This creamy roasted garlic butternut squash pasta is a flavorful, warm, and satisfying winter meal. Serve with a side salad.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 6-10 cloves garlic
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 pound long or short cut pasta 
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage 
  • 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese (or your favorite cheese of choice)
  • 1/3 cup grated romano cheese 
Butternut Squash

Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss together olive oil, butternut squash, garlic, thyme, 1 tablespoon rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. 
  3. Add the butternut squash, garlic, shallot, and ricotta to a food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. 
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta and save 1 cup of pasta water. 
  5. In a large skillet, melt together the butter, sage, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Cook until the butter is browning, add the puree and 1/2 cup pasta water, stirring until combined.  Mix in the cheeses. 
  6. Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine.  If needed, use the rest of the pasta water. 
Sarah Biddle Image

Recipe compliments of Home Chef Sarah Biddle and OPL Community Member

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Vegetarian Cold Peanut (or Sesame) Noodles

Vegetarian Cold Peanut (or Sesame) Noodles

Cold noodles can be the perfect recipe for a hot summer day. The secret ingredient for these noodles is cucumber. Served with a side salad it creates a tasty and satisfying meal for lunch or dinner. You can serve these noodles as the main course, as I did, or as a side dish. Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

Serves:  2 main-course or 4 side-dish servings

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 lb of cucumbers
  • 12 oz of dried spaghetti noodles (or fresh Chinese egg noodles)
  • 2 tbs sesame oil
  • ½ cup tahini (for sesame noodles) or creamy peanut butter (for peanut noodles)
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 3 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tbs rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ cup chopped scallions
  • Salt
  • Hot chili oil or Tabasco sauce
Cucumbers
Creamy Peanut Butter
Instructions:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it.
  2. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half and seed them (cut out the seeds). Use a grater and cut the cucumber in shreds. Set aside.
  3. When the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti noodles.  Cook until tender but not mushy.
  4. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the sesame oil, tahini or peanut butter, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, chili oil (to taste) and pepper in a large bowl. Thin the sauce with some of the cooking water (pasta water) to the consistency of heavy cream. It will take ¼ to ½ cup. Stir in the cucumbers.
  5. When the noodles are tender, drain and rinse them under cold water.  Drain again. Add the noodles to the sauce and cucumbers.  Add salt, if desired and garnish with chopped scallions.
  6. Serve with a crunchy chopped salad.
Chef Amy

Recipe compliments of Home Chef and OPL CMO Amy Bates.

Learn more about Amy.

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Pasta with Cheese, Herbs and Lemon

Pasta with Cheese, Herbs and Lemon

This recipe is a lovely adult version of pasta and cheese. Herbs and lemon combined with the parmesan cheese and pasta is a simple yet elegant meal. It is easy to make, so it is a weekday go-to-favorite!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz angel hair or other thin pasta
  • 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs chopped; choose from what you have such as basil, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary, or others)  If using dried herbs reduce the amount to a teaspoon.
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 lemon; grate the lemon zest and add to the parmesan cheese; juice the lemon removing seeds)
  • Olive oil 
Spaghetti pasta
Instructions:

Step 1:  Bring a large pot of water with a generous amount of salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook at a rolling boil for 4-5 minutes.

Step 2:  In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat on medium. Add the garlic and herbs and cook gently for a couple of minutes to release the fragrance.  Take the skillet off heat until pasta is ready. 

Step 3:  Keep ½ cup of the pasta water and put aside.  Then drain the pasta and using tongs place the pasta in the skillet with the garlic and herbs.  Turn on heat and toss pasta with herbs for 1-2 minutes. Add the ½ cup pasta water and the lemon juice.  Toss the pasta some more.  Turn off the heat.

Step 4:  Add the parmesan cheese and lemon zest to the pasta. (Note: you can retain some for topping the pasta before serving.) Toss the pasta with the cheese and zest until evenly combined. Add salt and pepper to taste; usually very little is needed. 

Step 5:  Using the tongs, evenly divide the pasta into two plates and top with parmesan

Sam Shane Image

Recipe compliments of Home Chef and OPL Community member Sam Shane

 

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce Topped with Pesto

Pasta with Tomato Sauce Topped with Pesto

Pasta with tomato sauce topped with pesto is an easy comfort meal that never disappoints.  Cook up your favorite pasta as instructed on the box and serve with a generous portion of the tomato sauce and pesto.

Yield: 4 servings

Tomato Sauce (3 Ingredients):
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 24 or 32 ounce can of whole or chopped tomatoes
  • salt and pepper
Instructions:

Put olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. 

When hot, add the chopped onion, cook and stir occasionally, until soft about 3-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes.  If whole tomatoes, break them up by hand as you add them.

Cook for 20-30 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s ready to serve or it can be refrigerated for several days.

Tomato Sauce
Pesto Ingredients:
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions:

Combine the basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced.

With the machine running slowly, dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.

Add the cheese and process briefly to combine.  Store in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Basil
Lorie Buckingham Home Chef

OPL Founder & Wayfinder Lorie Buckingham Shares a Favorite Recipe

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Wild Mushroom and Pea Bolognese over Fresh Pasta

Wild Mushroom and Pea Bolognese over Fresh Pasta

Wild mushrooms and pea bolognese is a hearty and delicious vegetarian pasta dish that’s perfect for the family or your next get together with friends.

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
  •           1 tablespoon olive oil
  •           1/4 cup minced onions
  •           Salt
  •           Freshly ground black pepper
  •           2 cups sliced assorted wild mushrooms
  •           1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  •           3/4 cup frozen green peas
  •           1 recipe of Shane Family Bolognese, warm and in a saucepan (see recipe below)
  •           1 pound cooked fresh pasta, hot
  •           2 ounces fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
  •           1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Wild mushrooms
Instructions:

In a sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute. 

Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Stir in the garlic and peas. Sauté for 1 minute and remove from the heat. 

Turn the mushroom mixture into the Bolognese and mix well. 

Toss the pasta with the sauce. Mound the pasta into shallow bowls and garnish with cheese and parsley.

  • Shane Vegetarian Bolognese

Yield: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:
  •           13 tablespoon Olive Oil            
  •           1 cup small diced carrots
  •           3/4 cup small diced celery
  •           1 cup small diced onions
  •           3 teaspoons paprika
  •           6 tablespoons bacon bits or cooked veggie bacon crushed
  •           3/4 pound veggie beef crumbles
  •           1/2 pound veggie sausage crumbles
  •           1/2 cup dry white wine
  •           1 tablespoon minced garlic
  •           2 tablespoons Italian tomato paste, diluted in 10 tablespoons veggie stock
  •           1 cup soy milk
  •           Salt and black pepper
Bolognese Image
Instructions:

In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.   Stir in the carrots, celery, and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables for about 3 – 5 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent.  Add the paprika and stir for 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bacon bits, veggie beef crumbles, and the veggie sausage crumbles. Season with salt and pepper.   Add to the sauteed vegetables and cook until the crumbles are cooked through and incorporated.

Stir in the wine, garlic,  and diluted tomato paste, and reduce the heat to very low. 

Cook partially covered for 2 hours. From time to time stir in a tablespoon or so of the soy milk; by the end of the two hours the soy milk should be incorporated. 

Season with salt and black pepper.

Sam Shane Image

Recipe compliments of Home Chef and OPL Community member Sam Shane

 

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

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