the treadmill diaries

Penne w/Squash, Kielbasa & Spinach ~360 cal (6 pts) per cup

On Sunday, I was in the mood for pasta. Penne to be exact. But, in the back of my head, I was thinking that I still had plenty of squash and pumpkins that needed to be cooked and cooked soon. Remember, the Squash S.O.S?

My creativity kicked in to help tackle both my craving and the using up more squash issue. I decided to come up with a recipe that would incorporate both items. Gotta love a win win.

So while cutting up my butternut squash, I thought about what kind of flavors I wanted to bring together with my pasta.

Thinking mediterranean – had to have garlic and oil (what doesn’t at my house?)

A protein of some sort to add depth – opted for Turkey Kielbasa since I had one in the fridge

And we couldn’t forget green veggies – cuz they’re always a welcome ingredient

Put all of those together and what do you get? Penne with Butternut Squash, Kielbasa & Spinach.

This dish was an absolute hit. It was garlicky, but creamy. Light-tasting, but comforting. And great both that night and for leftovers. I love when something you try on a whim works out. (Doesn’t always turn out like that. J )

Now for how to make it. Here’s what you’ll need:

 ½ a turkey kielbasa, 1 butternut squash – cubed & roasted, 2 cloves garlic chopped, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 box pasta of your choice, 2 cups spinach, one tomato diced, salt & pepper to taste, grated parmesan cheese optional.

Prepare pasta as indicated on package. But know you’ll be using 1 cup pasta water in this recipe.

Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat with the olive oil.

 Rough chop your tomato, garlic and kielbasa.

Sauté kielbasa & garlic until slightly browned.

Work in baked squash & tomatoes. Stir several minutes.

Salt & pepper recipe to taste.

Before draining, add 1 cup pasta water to pan & stir.

Fold in your spinach until it begins to wilt.

Your dish should look like this after mixed.

Allow to cook a minute or two more in order to make sure the flavors have come together.

You’re now ready to plate, serve & top with cheese.

The end product = totally delicious – if I do say so myself. And, your house will smell fantastic when making a batch of this up.

And the really good news – only one more butternut squash & 2 sugar pumpkins to find recipe homes for. I’ve found some really interesting ways to work with the pumpkin. But you’ll have to stay tuned over the next week or so to find out what I do.

What’s the most recent recipe you’ve made from scratch and absolutely loved?