Pasta With Butternut Squash And Sage Weight Watchers Friendly Food

PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE (WEIGHT WATCHERS' FRIENDLY)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 15 - 20 minutes.
• Stir in the green onions, sage, mushrooms, nutmeg, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper and cook until the green onions are softened, about 1 minute. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water.
• Add the squash mixture, parmesan and lemon juice to the pasta and toss to combine, adjusting the sauce consistency with the reserved cooking water if needed. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

PASTA WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE

Steps:

• Dice the squash into half-inch cubes, and toss with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.
• Place on a greased baking sheet.
• Heat the oven to 350°, and roast the squash until soft.
• Roasting time will vary from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the age of the squash.
• Remove from the oven and toss the squash with the chopped sage to infuse the flavor.
• Let cool.
• In a hot skillet, toast the breadcrumbs.
• (If desired, sauté a little garlic in oil until brown, then add the breadcrumbs and continue toasting.) In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the pasta.
• Cook until the pasta is al dente (meaning it has a bit of resistance when bitten into).
• Drain the pasta, then toss with the squash, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
• (If the pasta seems too dry, toss with a little chicken or vegetable stock, or a bit of the pasta water.) Garnish with fried sage leaves and Parmesan cheese shavings.

WEIGHT WATCHER'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAGE AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Cut 1 squash in half lengthwise. Peel other squash and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Remove seeds from squash that was cut lengthwise and place cut side down on cookie sheet. Roast until very soft, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Swirl skillet to mix and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Increase temperature to high and cook, stirring often, 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cubed butternut squash; let cool.
• Put evaporated milk, shallots, remaining 2 garlic cloves and sage in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.
• Scrape flesh of roasted squash halves into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher; add milk mixture and mash to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Coat a 9 X 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Spoon half of mashed squash into bottom of pan and spread into an even layer. Top with 3 uncooked noodles (you will need to break them to make them fit) and spoon over 1 cup of mushroom-squash mixture. Top with 1/2 cup of mashed squash and repeat layers two more times ending with 1/2 cup of mashed squash.
• Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH SAGE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing twice throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium. When the oil is hot, add the sage and cook, tossing often, until the leaves begin to crisp, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts and a generous sprinkle of salt and cook, tossing often, until the sage leaves are lightly browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage and nuts to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out the skillet. Let the mixture drain for 1 minute, then add it to a small bowl with the lemon zest; toss lightly and set aside.
• Working in batches if necessary, transfer the roasted squash and garlic to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. The consistency should be somewhere between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed, if it seems too thick.
• Transfer the puréed squash to the reserved skillet and keep warm over very low heat. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water, along with 1 tablespoon salt, and cook until al dente. Just before draining, ladle 1/2 cup pasta water into a measuring cup and set aside.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, then, off the heat, add the 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss until the cheese is incorporated. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle the sage, walnut and lemon zest mixture on top, and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FRIED SAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook penne as directed on package. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry sage, turning once, until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Add squash, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash softens, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot and add squash mixture; stir over low heat, adding some reserved cooking water if necessary, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute. Serve, garnished with cheese and sage.