Spicy Delicata Squash Pasta with Arugula

Delicata squash is my favorite of the winter squashes. Because the skin is soft and thin, you don’t need to peel it. It’s lovely sliced into half moons and roasted. For this recipe it is first tossed with the warming spices of ground cumin and red pepper flakes, then roasted until brown on the edges and soft, tossed with pasta and finished with a dusting of grated Parmesan and a few handfuls of arugula.

Here’s the beauty of this recipe…

• Use any kind of winter squash you happen to have on hand. For butternut, peel it and cut into 1 inch chunks.
• No arugula? Use baby spinach instead.
• I used gluten free chickpea pasta, but any kind of of dried pasta will work.
• Turn it into a baked dish by finishing with grated mozzarella and cooking for 15 minutes in the oven.
• Want to some extra protein? Add some quickly sautéed chicken (or tofu) cut into 1 inch pieces at the end or roast it with the squash.
• Looking for more options…what about adding a drained can of chickpeas to roast with the squash? A sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds or a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil would be nice as well.

Gluten Free Chickpea Pasta

I found this pasta at our local market and was intrigued. It was delicious and I recommend it if you are looking for a gluten free option. It would be fun to serve with some chickpeas in the sauce as suggested above.

Spicy Delicata Squash Pasta with Arugula

Spicy Delicata Squash Pasta with Arugula (serves 3 -4)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 delicata squash or equivalent in other varieties, about 6 cups. Seeds removed and sliced into 1/2 inch half moons.
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• Dried pasta, I used the entire package of 8.8 oz. It gave a high ratio of ‘filling’ to pasta. You could easily go with a full 16 oz package if you want more servings. The 8.8 oz package gave us 2 very generous servings (with seconds and leftovers for lunch)
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan
• 3 packed cups of arugula
• 1 cup of grated mozzarella (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large bowl. Add the squash and toss with your hands to coat. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and mix to coat the squash lightly. Make sure that the squash doesn’t have any white cornstarch. See Note below. Reserve the bowl.
3. Place on the baking sheet, trying to separate them as much as possible and bake for 30 minutes or until browned and soft. About half way through, turn to brown the other side.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
5. If the pasta is done before the squash, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the colander to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
6. Using the same large bowl from step 2, combine the pasta, squash, arugula and parmesan. Add the additional saved pasta cooking water if things seem dry. Toss and serve.
7. Optional: Put the mix into a serving bowl, sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese. I recommend adding some of the pasta water in this case.

Note: The cornstarch will crisp the edges of the squash. I use the same technique with cubes of sweet potato. Try it.

Spicy Delicata Squash Pasta with Arugula

Spicy Delicata Squash Pasta with Arugula

I think the folks over at Fiesta Friday will like the seasonal dish. This week is Fiesta Friday #402 hosted by Angie. Come on over to sample delicious recipes, decorating and craft ideas.