I’m Marie from Underground Crafter and I’m delighted to share one of my new favorite recipes with you.
I love butternut squash but I’ve always been intimidated by cooking it. I lack the knife skills to do the traditional “slice in half, bake in the oven” preparation method, but I don’t like spending extra to buy pre-sliced squash.
Recently, I learned from Beth Hensperger’s Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook that butternut squash can be prepared in the slow cooker. Now I can enjoy my favorite squash more affordably without worrying about my fingers.
I’m sharing my stovetop recipe for Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta, along with a tutorial for preparing the butternut squash in the slow cooker.
How To Cook Butternut Squash in the Slow Cooker
- Start by selecting a squash that fits in your slow cooker! (I can fit two small to medium squashes in mine, so I usually prepare two at once. For this recipe, you’ll only need one butternut squash.)
- Remove the stem and place the squash in the slow cooker. Add just 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water for each butternut squash.
- Cook on LOW for 2-4 hours until fork tender.
- Allow the squash to cool, and then peel the skin off with a paring knife.
- Chop the long stem of the squash into pieces appropriately sized for your recipe. (For the Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta recipe, cut into bite-sized pieces.)
- Cut the rounded bulb of the squash in half. Remove the seeds. (These can be discarded or used in recipes calling for squash seeds.)
- Chop the rest of the bulb into pieces appropriately sized for your recipe.
- Prepared squash can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta
Recipe by Underground Crafter
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium butternut squash, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces penne, or other pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) chopped pecans, or other nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 ounces baby kale, or baby spinach
- 2 Tablespoons broth, or water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, in large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add pecans and butternut squash, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add kale, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add broth or water and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted.
- Strain pasta.
- Add pasta and olive oil to butternut squash kale mixture. Toss until thoroughly mixed. Serve.
If you enjoyed this recipe, try my recipe for Marie’s Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans).
What Thanksgiving sides dishes will you serve?
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I’ve been wanting to use more squash in my summer cooking, but I didn’t have any good recipes on hand. However, I know that I love butternut squash, and I think I just found my first recipe! It’d be super easy to use GF pasta with this for a light, gluten free, unique summer pasta dish. I can’t wait to try it out.