Rigatoni with Squash and Shrimp

Hello after a long weekend!  Tonight was my uncle’s last night with us before returning to Spain.  So of course, we had to have a big dinner to wish him a bon voyage.  But my mom was too tired to cook, and my grandmother had her chemotherapy today and wasn’t feeling up to it, so… Super-Pamela to the rescue!  Haha.. no, I offered mostly because it’s nice to cook when grandma will watch Lucas for me, so I can “just cook”.  I love it, it really is like a therapy to me.  So for tonight, in keeping with our fall theme, we have a Rigatoni with Squash and Prawns.  Well, it’s more like Rigatoni with Squash and Shrimp, since we had regular jumbo shrimp on hand.  This is a recipe I cannot take credit for; it was created by a chef I really love for healthful Italian cuisine, Giada de Laurentiis.  Here is the recipe with a few adjustments:

Rigatoni with Squash and Shrimp

Ingredients:

 

3 tbsp olive oil, plus 3 tbsp

1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 pound rigatoni

1 pound large or jumbo shrimp

3/4 to 1 cup 2% or whole milk

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

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, bring to a 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. *You can actually add some of your milk at this point, rather than all of it later, if you need some liquid to better puree your squash.

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.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened.

Add the cooked shrimp, basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.   Top with a little extra parmesan and basil.

Results:  An incredibly healthy and delicious dish!  The sauce is so creamy, and you actually feel like you’re eating something bad for you, but it’s not!  The combination of the sweet butternut squash with the bite of the pepper in the sauce as well as in the shrimp, along with the saltiness of the parmesan cheese is just delightful!  I doubled my recipe to feed my family of seven plus a toddler.  I got great reviews! 

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Spinach Butternut Squash and Turkey Sausage Rigatoni

We try to eat pretty balanced meals, for the most part.  When my husband first began medical school a few years ago, he would come home excited to tell me what he learned about that day.  Of course not everything.  I’d let him know when I started to get overwhelmed.  But my favorite part was when he was taking nutrition courses.  It was my favorite part because as the homemaker and cook of the home, I take responsibility for keeping our family fit and healthy…and of course happy with the occasional dessert…ok, sometimes more regular than occasional ;).  Anyway, they studied in school that the most healthy lifestyle and diet comes from the people that live on the coasts along the Mediterranean Sea.  I had to do my research and find out what it was!  And even though there is so much to know, I boiled it down to this: lots of vegetables, lots of fruit, less, but still plenty of complex and whole grain carbohydrates, plenty of fish, poultry, and occasional red meat, and saturated fats.  Instead of butter, mediterraneans use mostly olive oil- for everything, cooking, dipping their bread in, vinagrettes.. even in lotions and soaps (which I love by the way).  They also tend to eat their meals slower, enjoy a glass of wine once a day, and linger at the table even after the food is gone and continue with conversation.  So our family follows a mediterranean diet about 90% of the time, although it’s more of a lifestyle, and I try to stay with this because it is what has worked best for our family. 

So on to tonight’s dinner!  Spinach, butternut squash, turkey sausage and rigatoni pasta.. I created this with (of course) pleasant thoughts of fall and the desire to fill my home with more of these aromas.. lol.  Serves 4-6 people, and usually you’ll have leftovers, although in my case my son had 3 helpings, my husband had 2 huge portions, and my mother-in-law stopped by, plus me… so only a little left for lunch 🙂

Ingredients

3 italian turkey sausages, without casings

1 lb (or approx. 4 cups) of diced butternut squash

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 large handfuls of baby spinach (approx. 3 cups loosely packed)

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp of flat-leaf italian parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb rigatoni (or another ridged pasta)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

salt & pepper to taste

 

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and add  your turkey sausage with the casing removed.  Use a flat edge or wooden spoon to break apart.  Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and chili flakes . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime dice your butternut squash into about 1/2″ cubes, dice your bell pepper, and mince your garlic.

*Tip for cutting your pepper-slice off both ends, then down side to open up pepper. Run your knife around seeds and veins, and you will have one whole piece to cut more easily.

 

 

 

 

 

When sausage is done browning, remove and put into a separate plate (leave any oils behind from the sausage in skillet) and add the butternut squash, stirring to evenly cook.  Make sure to, again, salt and pepper to taste, and add thyme. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, then add the diced bell pepper, and minced garlic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point you are going to let your vegetables soften.  In the meantime salt your boiling water, and add your rigatoni to it.  Cook pasta to al dente, which is italian for to the tooth; translation: we don’t want soggy pasta, there should be a slight bite to it when it is cooked right.  I usually cook it for a minute under when the box says it’s “al dente” because by then it’s usually over done.  Doubts?  Try the pasta as it cooks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a little of that pasta water out with a liquid measuring cup, and add enough of it to your vegetables to wet them, about 1/4 cup, and stir.  When you can pierce your squash with a fork, your veggies should be ready.  Again, try them to see- if you are trying right along as you cook- you will not have any surprises at the end when you serve your meal.  Magically this is how you ensure and control good tasting food!  Add your turkey sausage back into the skillet and reduce the heat. 

By this time your pasta should be done.  Reserve 1 cup of starch pasta water before draining!  Drain your pasta.  Add rigatoni and baby spinach to skillet and slowly mix it in as spinach begins to wilt and reduce in volume.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, add your parmesan cheese, and as much of the starch water as you need to moisten up the pasta dish.  I almost used my entire cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also add your freshly chopped parsley and mix everything well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve in a deep dish or bowl and top with a little shaved parmesan and leftover parsley.  Perfecto!

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