The holiday table often centers on a large piece of meat or poultry. Give tradition a twist with a main dish that has a much smaller impact on the environment, such as this colorful vegetarian pasta you can serve family style.
(gluten free, vegetarian)
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Red Lentil Winter Pasta with Red Pepper Sauce and Butternut Squash
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Ingredients
- 5 cups (1 pound, 5 ounces) cubed butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 7 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1½ teaspoons coarse salt, divided
- 2 (15-ounce) jars roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chopped Swiss chard
- 24 ounces chickpea cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta (TRY: Tolerant Organic Red Lentil Rotini Pasta)
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, toss together squash, 1 tablespoon oil, three cloves minced garlic, shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast squash 30–40 minutes or until tender when tested with a fork.
- In a food processor, purée the drained roasted red peppers; set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and remaining four minced garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, pepper, red pepper flakes and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté 1–2 minutes; then add Swiss chard and sauté another 1–2 minutes. Stir in red pepper purée. Transfer sauce to a large bowl, and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions but remove 2 minutes early. Before draining pasta, reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.
- Add cooked pasta and roasted squash to bowl with sauce; toss gently until coated. Mix in ½ cup Parmesan. If pasta seems too dry, add a little of reserved pasta-cooking water. Top with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Red Lentil Winter Pasta with Red Pepper Sauce and Butternut Squash
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g
17%
Saturated Fat 1g
5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 2mg
1%
Sodium 731mg
30%
Total Carbohydrates 46g
15%
Dietary Fiber 8g
32%
Sugars 6g
Protein 17g
34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
PER SERVING: 311 cal, 11g fat (3g mono, 4g poly, 1g sat), 2mg chol, 731mg sodium, 46g carb, (8g fiber, 6g sugars), 17g protein
