From the Valley kitchen: Whole-grain spaghetti with curried butternut squash sauce

pasta dish valley dining

Need a healthy break after Thanksgiving?  Try The Valley Hospital’s Chef John Graziano’s plant inspired dish for your next family meal.

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Curried Butternut Squash Sauce and Quinoa Falafel Balls

4 servings/Preparation time 40 minutes

Curried butternut squash sauce:

1 pound - Butternut squash, 1 inch cube

2 cups - Low sodium vegetable stock/broth

3 T - Coconut milk, unsweetened

1 T - Almond butter, organic

1 t - Kosher salt

1 t - White pepper

3 T - Curry powder

1 T - Olive oil

Method:

  1. Coat squash with olive oil. Add curry powder to squash and cover well.
  2. In a 350 degree oven roast squash until golden brown. About twenty minutes.
  3. In a food processor add warm squash, vegetable stock, coconut milk and almond butter. Puree until smooth.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.

Quinoa falafel balls:

6 oz - Chick peas, canned, washed and drained

12 oz - Quinoa, cooked

6 T - Whole wheat flour

¼  C - Fresh mint, chopped

¼ C - Fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 T - Garlic, minced

1 T - Onion, minced

2 T - Tahini, organic

1 ea - Lemon

1 T - Extra virgin olive oil

1 t - Kosher salt

1 t - Pepper, ground

Method:

  1. In a food processor add chickpeas, mint, parsley, garlic, onion, tahini, juice of lemon, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Pulse until chunky and blended. Do not make mixture totally smooth.
  2. Place chick pea mixture in a bowl and add cooked quinoa.
  3. Toss mixture together while adding whole wheat flour. Mix until a small ball is easy to form.
  4. Using a one ounce scoop (or table spoon), scoop mixture making one ounce balls.
  5. Sauté in a hot pan until balls are golden brown.
  6. Serve 5 balls per order.

Pasta:

8 oz - Whole grain spaghetti

4 oz - Baby sweet peas, defrosted

1 T - Extra virgin olive oil

½ C - Toasted almonds

Method:

  1. Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to taste
  2. Add pasta to boiling water.
  3. Cook for 7 minutes
  4. Drain well.
  5. In a separate pan heat up peas with extra virgin olive oil.
  6. Add pasta to pan and toss well.
  7. Add curried butternut squash sauce over top of pasta
  8. Add quinoa falafel balls
  9. Garnish with toasted almonds

Tags: Healthy Eating