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Fusilli Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Eggplant, and Butternut Squash
My attempt at a buckwheat salad with walnut pesto totally flopped. I could have let disappointment overcome me and given in to my urge for lettuce wraps, cold soba noodle salad, and dumplings at Miyos (not that I've ever done that), but instead I held strong and made another dish entirely. Mistakes in the kitchen happen and sometimes their outcome is better than the recipe you started with.
The walnut pesto was simple. It's a recipe that I picked up from Kiss My Spatula. And then I gathered what veggies I hadn’t yet used this week and did a quick sauté in olive oil. The dish was hearty, filling, and loaded with fall flavors. Best part—I'll be eating it for the next ten meals similar to my Autumn Polenta and Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad. I tend to make more than I need so I'm never left with nothing in the fridge on those days when takeout beckons and I just don't feel like cooking.
INGREDIENTS
| For the Walnut Pesto | |
| 2 cups | packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried |
| 1/2 cup | coarsely chopped walnuts |
| 1/2 cup | freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano |
| 2 | large garlic cloves |
| big squeeze of | fresh lemon juice |
| 1/2 cup | extra virgin olive oil |
| Pepper to taste | |
| For the Pasta | |
| 1 pound | organic whole wheat fusilli pasta |
| Pesto from above | (entire batch) |
| 1 | butternut squash, skin removed, seeds removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
PREPARATION:
For the Walnut Pesto
- Add basil, walnuts, cheese, garlic, and lemon juice to the blender and pulse until smooth while adding olive oil in gradually. Add pepper to taste.
Recipe: Kiss My Spatula
For the Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to directions, about 7 minutes in boiling, salted water.
- At the same time, heat a skillet up to medium heat and sauté the butternut squash for about 10 minutes before adding in the eggplant. Cook 7 more minutes.
- In the pasta pot (it should be very large), toss pasta with pesto and veggies.
- Before serving, dress with olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a touch of sea salt.
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