Butternut orecchiette with arugula

This lovely, foggy Saturday morning, Zack is out renewing his CPR certification, so I thought I would do some blog writing catch-up with a hot cup of tea. And do I have a treat for you in this particular post.

So. Butternut squash. It must be addressed because this is, in a way, a source of struggle in our household. Point blank, I love butternut squash. I don't know why. It's like I'm drawn to it. It's vibrant orange flesh and lovely, smooth yellow skin. The fact that you have to scoop out the "meat" like you would a pumpkin. Maybe it reminds me of pumpkin carvings past, I don't know. Actually, as I write, I just found out online that butternut squash is actually referred to as "butternut pumpkin" in Australia and New Zealand; had to include that here (most of you know of our love for "down under").

Anyways, let's just say, recipes containing butternut squash just flock to me. As I look for recipes/ideas for meals, I'll be like, "oh, that looks delicious," and what do you know - it contains butternut squash. You get the point. I draw this out because the funny thing is that Zack is a little squeamish about this winter squash. In fact, I took this recipe as a challenge because Zack wasn't too sure about it, but I was going to make him like it if it was the last thing I did. I had to make it good enough that he would like it. Love it. It was like a secret mission.

This recipe comes from an amazing cooking blog I have discovered through Pinterest, The First Mess. Wholesome food and beautiful, creative photography. This blog has become one of my mentors (although, Laura of The First Mess probably does not realize it).

Butternut orecchiette with arugula

As adapted from The First Mess

Serves 4.

Ingredients for sauce:

1 small butternut squash, halved lengthwise with seeds scooped out

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Handful of fresh thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or more grapeseed oil)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

Good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup vegetable stock

Ingredients for pasta:

2 heaping cups of dried orecchiette

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup parmigiano, grated

2 big handfuls arugula, rinsed and dried

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I did not use because I didn't have any on hand)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter the handful of thyme sprigs across paper. Rub squash halves with grapeseed oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay face down on thyme sprigs. Roast in oven until very tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Once able to handle, scoop cooked flesh into a bowl, discarding the thyme sprigs.

In a dutch oven or large soup pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add roasted squash, stir, mashing squash down into the sautéing aromatics. Add lemon juice and vegetable stock, stirring until roughly combined and remove from heat. Puree squash and garlic mixture in a food processor (or blender), adding more stock if necessary. Return squash sauce to dutch oven over medium heat. Season with heaping pinch of salt and lots of pepper.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water. Once squash is simmering, add cooked pasta, chickpeas, parmigiano, arugula, pine nuts, reserving a bit of each for garnish if you like. Add some pasta water to loosen a bit. Serve hot.

I did not have the pine nuts on hand, but I think they would definitely add a nice crunch to this recipe. Also, next time I would like to loosen the squash sauce a bit; mine wasn't completely smooth. Do this by adding a bit of the pasta water towards the end of cooking. I think I will also puree my sauce a little more in the food processor.

Sometimes I think about ways to disguise things that are good for you. You know, foods that nutrient-rich and healthy (a.k.a. foods that your kids may not like). It's one of the things I look forward to in regards to having kids someday. Arranging vegetables in a rainbow, or making macaroni and "cheese," which is actually macaroni and butternut squash sauce. Seriously, that was one of the first things I thought of when I took my first bite of this butternut orecchiette. It is so much like homemade macaroni and cheese, it's not even funny. The color, the texture, etc. - I'm definitely saving this recipe.

However, this meal is more than a macaroni and cheese look-alike. It was really delicious. So many textures and flavors. I loved it. And I'm pleased to say, Zack was pleasantly surprised (mission accomplished). Here's to eating things that are good for you, and not even remembering or realizing it. Cheers.