Did you know that if you substitute some butternut squash for cheese in a pasta dish that you don’t need to add any additional thickener? Sneak in vegetables and nutrition with this Pasta Squash Pasta and Cheese with Tomatoes!
Butternut Pasta and Cheese with Tomatoes

I picked up an unusually shaped, curly butternut squash the other day.  I put it on the counter because, at the time, I didn’t have room in my refrigerator.  As the week progressed, everyone who entered the kitchen was drawn to the squash.  Pretty soon they were holding it up to themselves, telling us what it reminded them of.  One person pulled their sleeve down and pretended they were Captain Hook.  Another put it up to their forehead and claimed to be an anglerfish.  Yet another person said it looked like Gonzo’s nose.   So many people played with it that I was tempted to create a game called Pass the Squash.  Instead, I moved things around in my fridge, making space for it so I could hide it away.  I was afraid it was going to break before we could eat it.

Butternut Pasta and Cheese with Tomatoes

I love putting butternut squash in pasta dishes.  It is a natural thickener, so I don’t have to worry about adding any kind of flour to the cheese sauce.  I can use gluten-free pasta and create a totally easy gf dish.  My kids don’t normally love squash, but they never seem to care if it’s mixed in with cheese.  This dish is full of veggies, but it’s not obvious to the “untrained” eye.

Butternut Squash Pasta and Cheese with Tomatoes

Author: 

 

  • 12 oz cooked pasta
  • 1½ cups cooked butternut squash puree
  • 1½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground pepper
  • 12 grape tomatoes, halved
  • 3 oz feta cheese
  1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
  2. Saute the green onions and garlic until soft.
  3. Add the squash puree, cheese, salt and pepper.
  4. Fold in the cooked pasta and tomatoes.
  5. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish.
  6. Top with feta cheese.
  7. Bake, covered, 20 minutes at 350 degrees

3.4.3174

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