The Hungry Swimmer: Butternut Squash Pasta

This week I decided to experiment a little in the kitchen. With Halloween approaching and fall weather in full swing, I wanted to incorporate some kind of food that is in-season. After debating, I went with squash for this dish.

I love myself a good bowl of pasta. It’s one of those easy meal ideas almost everyone can prepare when need be. A pantry staple to say the least! But isn’t it time for some new flavor besides your generic marinara, buttered, pesto, alfredo, vodka sauce…? I finally caved on testing out the well-known butternut squash pasta that has been all over my feed.

I put this off for a bit because I was a little nervous. I thought I personally wouldn’t like the taste of butternut squash in my pasta. I am more of a salty/savory pasta person as compared to sweet and creamy. But I assumed too soon because it turned out amazing. It seemed to be a hit for my taste testers as well. 😎

I kept this recipe is simple, so don’t let the steps, time or idea of making your own sauce throw you off. I promise the recipe is easy, you just need a little more time to roast the squash and veggies for your homemade sauce! I recommend trying to pair this dish with a protein such as chicken or chicken sausage, to make a complete and satisfying meal. I paired it with chicken sausage and it was wonderful.

If you are not a big veggie consumer, this recipe is perfect for sneaking in your daily vegetable intake. The sauce is made up of butternut squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, cream and salt/pepper. Making it a naturally sweet and subtle taste, along with its creamy texture. The crisp mushrooms, roasted rosemary and salty feta cheese tie everything together and really bring out the bold flavor of the dish.

Pasta is an excellent meal selection for athletes, especially high-endurance athletes like swimmers. Pasta is packed with complex carbohydrates, which is our body’s main energy source for our muscles. This is key for fueling/performance and replenishing/recovery. Perfect for a big meal after a tough day of training.

As always, if you decide to give this recipe a try, please tag me @rubyfaye99! I would love to see your end result and what you think!

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups cut butternut squash
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large white onion, halved
• 1 cup rosemary
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup cream or milk of choice
• Salt / pepper to taste
• Feta cheese to top, for taste
• 1 cup pasta water

Instructions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
2. Slice the garlic bulb in half and add to tin foil. Drizzle one tbsp of olive oil over the halved bulb & sprinkle with salt. Wrap in tin foil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Add the cubed butternut squash, sliced mushrooms and fresh rosemary to the baking sheet as well. Top veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Add the baking sheet to the oven for 35-40 minutes. After 25 minutes, check on the veggies to see if the mushrooms are cooked. If so, remove and set aside in a bowl with rosemary.
4. While the veggies are roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook your pasta according to the box instructions and reserve one cup of pasta water. Set aside in a bowl.
5. After the veggies are roasted add the butternut squash, garlic, onion and rosemary to a blender with half of the reserved pasta water, cream and salt/pepper. Blend until smooth. NOTE: do not put the mushrooms in the blender!
6. Once pasta is al dente, strain the pasta and return to the pot. Add blender sauce over the pasta and mix together with remaining reserved pasta water. Mix thoroughly and top with your grated parmesan cheese and crispy mushrooms!
7. Enjoy!