Meatless Monday: Creamy Butternut, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Cavatappi

I watched none of the Super Bowl. Unless half-time counts.

I didn’t even know who was playing in the Super Bowl until the cashier at the grocery store asked me who I was rooting for. I guess the football platter gave away the fact that I was hosting. Or maybe it was the chicken wings. Or the case of beer. Or the wing sauce. Or the chips. It certainly wasn’t the apples, peanut butter, star fruit, or mango…but those were on our Super Bowl menu, too. The fruit paired perfectly with the sangria I whipped up 😉 (recipe soon!)

I had to, unfortunately, head back to the grocery store a second time.

You see, I had purchased (8 lbs!!) frozen chicken wings (uncooked)…and left them on the kitchen counter. I awoke at 6am on Sunday morning, darted from bed and down the stairs and my stupidity was confirmed. I had left the chicken wings out all night. They still felt cold…but I just couldn’t risk it. I went to the grocery store and could only find the WHOLE wing, so I was left to separate them — a task that most certainly takes away from the ignorant bliss of knowing exactly what a chicken wing looks like and consists of in its most natural state.

Meat just isn’t forgiving with time or temperature. It’s costly and requires care to prepare properly…much unlike the butternut squash I’ve had in my fridge from my last CSA delivery in…November? MONTHS that squash survived, and it was just as good the day I cut into it for this pasta as it was the day it was delivered (I think). Winter squashes are so forgiving in that way.

Thumbing through my Cooking Light, this recipe jumped off the page. Not only was it the fact that I had on hand most all of the basic ingredients, but that it called for a new-to-me shape of pasta. Those curlicues trap in all that squash and blue cheese goodness, that’s for sure!

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Creamy Butternut, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Cavatappi from Cooking Light

4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/3lbs)
2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
8 oz uncooked cavatappi
1 cup (~1/2) onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 F for 24 minutes or until tender, stirring once.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; keep warm.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/2 cup milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, and yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.

Combine squash, pasta, and milk mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Yield: 5 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 346 calories; 11.4 g. fat; 96 mg. cholesterol; 420 mg. sodium; 51.0 c. carbohydrate; 2.0 g. fiber; 12.6 g. protein

Result: Great flavors with the savory blue cheese and sweet butternut squash. The pasta shape is so fun…especially for kids, or just something different! However, I am unable to find the cavatappi shape in a whole wheat variety. Nonetheless, this was a low calorie meal and enjoyed by even Mr. P!

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 Stayed up too late…*yawn*!!

Be well,