Red Kuri Squash Pasta Sauce

Remember the winter squash I bought? Well, I decided to make a pureed pasta sauce with those Red Kuri squash.

I served it over a store-bought gnocchi instead of regular pasta, topped it with pistachios, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The sauce is delicious - thick and rich and very comforting. I am going to test it with Butternut Squash as well as the Red Kuri, and then move this recipe into the "done" pile for the cookbook (I love seeing this stack get higher and the "retest" pile getting smaller and smaller...)!

Quick update question: Raising Kahne has a q in the comments about Thanksgiving dinner if anyone can offer up some suggestions!

Popeye Pasta

"I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats me spinach..."

This new Popeye Pasta Sauce is chock full of fresh spinach goodness. The sauce is delicately sweet rather than spicy which works nicely with the spinach!

I barely cook the spinach in this sauce. In fact, I merely toss it through the heated sauce before I'm read to top the pasta. I don't like spinach - or any greens - overcooked, particularly when they are a key ingredient as with sauce.

What you see on top of the pasta is a julienne of yellow summer squash, zucchini, and cucumber (seeds removed), since I always like a little something raw with dinner. Having our usual green salad with this meal just doesn't work for me with all the spinach in the sauce. Instead, I quickly julienned these veg, tossed with a little vinaigrette, and topped the pasta.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, this spinach was locally grown organic... fre'e'-coli spinach! :)