Try your hand at this delicious butternut squash pasta from nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert.
This staple-style pasta provides fuelling carbs for sustained energy, while the fibrous squash adds betacarotene and vitamin C, helping to support immune function.
Butternut squash pasta
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
350ml (12fl oz) vegetable stock, plus a little extra if needed
30g (1oz) grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
300g (10oz) dried fettuccine
15g (½oz) sage leaves and 30g (1oz) toasted pine nuts, to serve
Flex it – Use a vegan alternative to Parmesan if preferred.
Method
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion. Fry for 8–10 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for another minute or so.
Add the squash, cannellini beans, and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the stock has reduced by almost half.
Add the Parmesan and blend into a purée, adding a dash more stock to thin the sauce if preferred. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 1–2 tablespoons of cooking water, and return to the pan.
Make crispy sage leaves by heating the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the sage and fry for 30 seconds, or until crisp. Remove and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Add just enough sauce to coat the pasta (freeze any leftover) and the reserved water, then stir to combine. Divide between four bowls, topped with the Parmesan, sage leaves, and pine nuts.
This recipe appears in Deliciously Healthy Pregnancy by Rhiannon Lambert, and was supplied by Penguin Books.