Quinoa Pasta with Squash & Spinach

     This is one of my favorite pasta dinners. It is a recipe that evolved one night while trying to figure out an 'acid free' pasta meal for my daughter. She had been ill and needed to eat an acid free diet for about a year. Initially this seemed like a very limited diet for flavors but with time we found lots of flavor options using herbs and broths.  At the time we did not include the garlic, onions or red chili peppers in the recipe. Instead I added parsley or other herbs like thyme leaves. 

     I love this with tangy goat cheese! 

Quinoa Pasta with Squash & Spinach

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free

Serves 4

printable recipe

Ingredients:

2 tsp. coconut  oil

1 onion, chopped (about ½ c. – ¾ c.)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or ¼ tsp. chili paste (you can adjust spiciness to your taste)

2 C. Vegetable broth

About 3 C. kabocha or butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut in cubes.

About 3 C. fresh spinach, washed (you can also use about 1 c. frozen). Another nice substitute is peas.

4 oz. of Goat cheese (omit if you want dairy-free)

Salt & pepper to taste

8 oz. Quinoa pasta (or pasta of your choice)

Directions:

1. Put on a pot of water to cook the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. Add onion and saute until soft and golden, about 2 minutes.

4. Add garlic and chili sauce or red pepper flakes, saute another 30 seconds.

5. Add broth and squash, bring to a simmer, cover and cook about 10 minutes until squash begins to soften.

6. Add spinach and cook just until it wilts.

7. Add the cooked squash mix to the pasta. Add salt & pepper to taste, toss to mix.

 Optional- Stir in chunks of goat cheese.

Garnish with a sprinkle of ground flaxseed or chopped walnuts.