This is one of those meals that warms the soul and fills the belly with all the nourishing veggies and pasta – it feels like comfort food but of the good kind. The kind you don’t have to detox after.
Another great thing about this pasta is that it all cooks in one pot. You don’t have to cook the pasta separately because you want the soup to thicken slightly and the pasta really helps that happen naturally as it cooks.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
FOR THE STEW
227 g package of GoGo Quinoa Anelli Rice & Quinoa Pasta
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow small onion diced fine
2 stalks of celery chopped very fine
2 1/2 cups diced (1/2 to 3/4 inch) butternut squash
2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional – could substitute with broth)
6 cups lower-salt vegetable broth
15-oz. can (or cranberry or Roman) beans, rinsed and drained*
14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed (I used whole baby tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to Tate
FOR THE PESTO
1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
Instructions:
FOR THE STEW
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium heat and add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the squash and stir to combine. Then add the aromatics, parsley, sage, garlic, and pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until almost completely evaporated, about another minute.
Add the broth, pasta beans, and tomatoes. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot, and simmer gently until the squash and pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir immediately with the pesto. As the soup sits it will thicken so if reheating you may need to add a little water to help thin it out.
FOR THE PESTO
Place the parsley, sage, and garlic in a food processor. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil.
Pulse until finely chopped, adding more oil if necessary to thin out into more of a sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl and serve with the soup.
This recipe was sourced from gogoquinoa.com
