Winter Squash and Swiss Chard Pasta

Planning for play dates has gotten even more complicated these days. I am always looking for fun new recipes to feed a crowd on a budget that are also dairy free and preggo friendly. Since I am trying to take advantage of my last couple of weeks of our CSA I decided to whip up a hearty pasta featuring some of last week’s veggies. Winter squash and Swiss chard. Both the ladies and the babies seemed to enjoy it and it reheated well I think this one should definitely stay in my rotation.

1 box of whole wheat penne pasta

1 bunch of Swiss chard, cleaned dried and chopped

2 small to medium winter squash

EVOO

1 can white beans

1 onion, chopped

1 head of garlic

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Toppings: Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles

Toss peeled and chunked squash in EVOO, S&P and spread out evenly on a baking pan. Peal garlic and set aside 3 cloves. Sprinkle the rest around the baking pan and place in the oven. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Add EVOO, onion, chopped chard stems and the remainder of the garlic to a skillet and allow the onions to sweat. Add the chard leaves and season with S&P and vinegar. Allow the greens to cook down until they are bright green but not yet soggy. Remove from heat and set aside. (These two steps I did the night before and then stored all the ingredients in an air tight container in the fridge overnight.)

Cook the pasta according to directions on the box. Strain cooked pasta, reserving 2 cups of pasta water to use in the sauce. Heat about 1 tbs of EVOO in a pan. Add the roasted garlic cloves smashing them into the pan until they resemble a paste. Slowly add water to the pan until it begins to look like a sauce. Add vegetables and beans (bacon and cheese if using) and toss until everything is coated evenly. Add the pasta and as much EVOO as needed to coat the pasta. Season with S&P and then sprinkle additional cheese and bacon over the top.