Butternut Squash Alfredo

Erica is pretty crafty with making dishes that are full of veggies! The last time we went to her house for dinner she made a mac and cheese with butternut squash mixed in and I loved it! The butternut squash added a sweet richness to the dish and ever since then, I’ve been adding butternut squash to my own mac and cheese, as well as my pasta dishes! It’s rich flavor really ups the delicious factor, plus it’s a great way to sneak a little veggie action into my kid’s meals!

This recipe is another easy one. Let’s be honest, all of my recipes are easy, because I’m an easy cook. I grabbed a pre-made sauce from Trader Joe’s, but I also frequently make my own Alfredo with skim milk to save on the fat content. I will include my homemade Alfredo sauce recipe below, but you can make it either way.

INGREDIENTS

1 – 1/2 lb ground turkey sausage (I used 1/2 pound, but you can use more or omit it all together)
1 jar of Alfredo Sauce (or use homemade recipe below)
1 bag of pre-chopped butternut squash
1 16 oz. bag of brown rice pasta (I used Penne)
1 lb Asparagus to serve on the side

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown your ground turkey sausage according to package directions.
2. Cook your butternut squash. My Trader Joe’s version could be cooked in the microwave for a few minutes. Once the squash is done, pull it out and mash it up, set aside.
3. Heat your sauce. If you’re using my homemade version below skip to that section.
4. Once your sauce is warm, stir in the butternut squash and sausage. Reduce heat to low.
5. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
6. Once your pasta is cooked through, combine your sauce and pasta! It’s that easy. I top mine with a little extra parmesan and parsley and serve alongside asparagus and a salad.

Done! Hope you like this one.

– Brooke

HOMEMADE ALFREDO

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbps whole wheat flour
1 cup skim milk or any milk, unsweetened almond milk works too.
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat your olive oil over medium heat and stir in the flour.
2. Continue to stir until well combined and flour has a little tan color.
3. SLOWLY add the milk. I add mine in 1/4 cup increments and stir continually.
4. Stir in parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
5. Reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper if needed. Let the sauce simmer for 5 -10 minutes. If your sauce is too thin you can add flour or more parmesan cheese, if it is too thick you can add more milk, just stir, stir, stir!