Friday, August 08, 2008

My Favorite Thing about AL (So Far)

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it *isn't* the above-100F temperatures, that's for sure!! (Of course, KC has had high temps, too, of late.) It's also not the fire ants, which, thank goodness none of the children have stepped in yet. ICK It's not the red dirt that will not come out of clothing...No... it's the...
PRODUCE!
Yum! We stopped at one of the many roadside stands yesterday and got cheap, delicious peaches and cantaloupe. Wow. Our family ate 3 cantaloupes as dessert last night, lol. At .66 each, that was a good deal. We'll be visiting the fruit stand again. Probably today. Since we're out of fruit. :-)
I noticed, too, they had sweet potatoes and squash (as well as scores of other things, all grown locally.) I'm going to post below my favorite squash recipe. When you're wanting to feel like a gourmet chef, this is a good recipe to try.


Penne with Garlicky Butternut Squash

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash (from a 1 1/2 pound squash)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 sage leaves, minced or 1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound uncooked penne
Grated Parmesan

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a stockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the squash and saute 5 minutes, or until it begins to get golden. Sprinkle in the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Pour in the 1/4 cup water, nutmeg, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Cook the squash until tender, about 5 minutes more. Cook the penne until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot. Spoon on the squash mixture and toss gently. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and pass more at the table.

My notes: For our family, I have to at least double this. Usually, I double the squash and use just a little more than a pound of pasta. And speaking of pasta, we've found we like plain, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, rather than penne, with this dish. And really, it's the squash, not the pasta that is the star of this show. I think we could eat just a bowl of the squash and be happy. :-) Also, we use a lot more garlic than it calls for. We do like garlic.

If you try out the recipe, let me know what you think. We'll be having it sometime in the next week.
Must run. Y'all keep you wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Other people can't do my tricks. They're too big." --Tater Tot

8 comments:

Lisa-Anne said...

mmmmm sounds yummy! I do a similar pasta, think I will try yours tonight. :) I also do one where the pasta sauce is actually pureed butternut squash/cream/garlic etc. :)
Do you want it?
LOVE you!
Lisa-Anne

Lisa-Anne said...

Hey, could I get LL's mint brownie recipe? :) Have a hubby who needs a treat. :)
Thanks!
Love,
LA

Amy Hall said...

Lisa Anne,
My recipe is top secret, but I'll give you the public version! I'll post it on my blog (folow the links starting with the one on Mamas sidebar).

Lisa-Anne said...

thanks "Andie" :)
Now tell me, how much better is your super secret version than the public version? :)
Maybe we can trade super secret recipes one of these days? :)
Love you!
LA

Amy Hall said...

Hey, LA! My beautiful, witty daughter has commandeered my screen name, LOL.
As for the pureed butternut squash recipe...YES!!! Please post it!! YUM...Something about cream and garlic--you just can't go wrong. :-) LOVE YOU 2!
Amy

Lisa-Anne said...

Pasta with Butternut Squash Cream

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Chicken stock
1 pound rigatoni (or other pasta)
2 cups cooked chicken breast (boneless skinless, cut in cubes and sautéed)
¾ cup cream or whole milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I like them, but optional if you don’t!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and 3/4 cup cream. Stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be thinned. Add the cooked chicken, basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.
Love ya!
LA

Amy Hall said...

Sounds yummy, LA! Can't wait to try it...
HUGS!

Andie said...

It's not too much better ;) I'll post the public version to my blog today. :)