Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Broccoli

Many people consider pasta to be unhealthy. It’s true that pasta made from refined white flour and served in a greasy alfredo sauce, or loaded up with meatballs, is definitely going to undermine your health. However, whole wheat pasta served with a heap of sautéed veggies, beans, and a healthy sauce, can be a quick, easy, and extremely healthy meal. My Lemon Kale Pesto Pasta and Classic Pasta with Marinara Sauce are perfect examples. This recipe also meets the “healthy pasta” criteria, so there’s no need to feel guilty while enjoying it.

Nutrition Highlights:

• Butternut squash, like all winter squash varieties, is a low-calorie food that contains a number of health-promoting nutrients. One of the first nutrients you’ll notice when you cut into this squash is the beta-carotene, indicated by the deep orange color. Beta-carotene serves as an antioxidant, keeping us healthy on a cellular level. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene is associated with a lower risk of numerous cancers, including breast cancer. A diet rich in beta-carotene can improve skin complexion, as it accumulates in the skin, providing a golden glow for people with light skin. It can also be converted into vitamin A, an essential nutrient involved in immune function, vision, reproduction, and cellular communication.
• Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable—a class of veggies with well-established, anti-cancer properties. Broccoli consumption has also been shown to boost liver function, which can truly help detoxify your body (unlike detox pills or cleanses). It is a good source of plant-based calcium, potassium, and vitamin C—all of which promote optimal health.
• A diet rich in whole grains, including products made from whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, is associated with lower rates of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer. Whole grains should be a staple food in our diet. The same can be said for beans, which are also featured in this recipe.
• Turmeric is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer foods we can consume. I try to include it in any orange-colored recipe, as its flavor is mild and it blends right in. Black pepper boosts our absorption of turmeric, which is why it’s also included in this recipe.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Broccoli

 

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Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 1 - 16oz package of whole wheat pasta
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into dice-sized cubes (about four cups of cubed squash)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cups of vegetable broth, divided (preferably low-sodium)
• 1 tsp dried turmeric
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
• ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
• 1 - 15oz can of navy beans (sub any other white bean), rinsed and drained
• Broccoli florets from two heads of raw broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3 cups worth)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the garlic, onion, butternut squash cubes, and ¼ cup of vegetable broth. Sauté for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, add an additional 2.5 cups of vegetable broth, along with the turmeric, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes (or until the squash is tender). Remove from heat.
3. While the squash is cooking, cook the pasta according to package. Once cooked, drain it, and add it to a large mixing bowl.
4. Rinse and drain the cashews. Add them, along with the nutritional yeast, to the squash mixture and stir well.
5. Carefully pour the squash mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Immediately pour the sauce into the same large mixing bowl as the pasta.
6. In the same skillet used for the squash (or in a new one), add the broccoli and ¼ cup of vegetable broth. Sauté over medium-high heat for five minutes (or until the broccoli is tender). Add the cooked broccoli to the mixing bowl.
7. Add the rinsed beans to the mixing bowl.
8. Once the cooked pasta, butternut squash sauce, cooked broccoli, and beans have been added to the bowl, stir it up so that everything is evenly coated in sauce.
9. Serve immediately and garnish with extra red pepper flakes or hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

This recipes is best enjoyed on a cool autumn evening, while listening to Damian Marley's "Love and Inity".

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