Braised Cabbage & Squash Penne Pasta ♥ Week Two, Day Five - EatingWell Meal Plan

This dish just snuggled it's way into the top 10 favorite winter pasta dishes. OMG, so much flavor, so easy to cook and all in one pot...woohoo!!

This is the perfect dish to use up leftover cabbage from that St. Patty celebration. It's OK if it's already cooked and even better if it was roasted. Loaded with so much flavor, it will still add a cabbage sweetness, and paired with the butternut, this pasta was loaded. I liked the addition of the red pepper flakes, so don't leave it out.

The original recipe called for cauliflower but I was not in the mood and I had the cabbage.

When The Nudge goes in for seconds (which he rarely does) I knew I had a winner. Trust me, even the kids will love this. Except for the sub on the cauliflower, I made this dish as written. If you prefer the original vegetables, I am sure my review on that would also be a 10++.

Braised Cabbage & Butternut Squash Penne Pasta
Makes: 4 servings

EatingWell.com: Here we cook pasta and vegetables in broth rather than water to make this warming vegetarian pasta extra flavorful. The starch from the pasta combines with the broth as it simmers and creates a silky sauce. And you can make the whole dish in just one pot, so cleanup is a breeze (and it was).

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 large cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 4 cups "no-chicken" broth or vegetable broth
* 8 ounces whole-wheat penne
* 2 cups 1-inch cauliflower (or cabbage) pieces
* 2 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup finely shredded Romano cheese

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, thyme and red pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add broth, penne, cauliflower and squash. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thickened and greatly reduced, 14 to 16 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, stir in pepper and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve topped with cheese.

If the pasta starts to look dry, lower the heat and add a touch of water. Whole wheat pasta absorbs more water than regular.



My Diabetic Recommendation: I recommend no more than 1 cup of cooked pasta (or 2oz dried) for a recommended diabetic portion. The rest of the recipe is very diappropriate.