Family Love and Butternut & Mushroom Penne

This Vegetarian Butternut & Mushroom Penne recipe is delicious anytime of year!

I am so thankful for food. It’s really the connector that brings us together with the people we love, and makes our tummies so warm and happy.

Yesterday my sisters and I made a road trip up North to visit family who had just moved to Oregon. Our cousin is a new pastor in a small town and we wanted to head up to check out their new surroundings, a very small quaint church, and a pulpit that I’d say he did a fine job in. After the service, we headed to their house for a Sunday supper of a fantastic stew simmering on the stove. We felt so honored to be eating around their Sunday table with their three kids!

Throughout the years of celebrating with our cousins, I realized it usually includes a delicious meal. Food has always been the connector that entwines us with our past and future. With sickness, death, health, marriages, milestone events, with many miles apart, and now living so close, being together and communing with our loved ones heightens our joy and our common bond.

It amplifies the experience and draws us together.

My sisters and I couldn’t stop talking about our love for this family, on our way home, and how good the food was!

This is the season of sharing and caring, and reaching out to our friends and family and even people we don’t know very well.

And it’s always better with delicious things to eat.

When we got home last night, I whipped up this hearty, tasty dish, because I had all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge. I love not having to run to the store!

It’s easy, vegetarian, and with one of my favorite vegetables, butternut and mushrooms, I added cheese and herbs and … well, you read on and enjoy the recipe!

We sure did.

Do you stop and think about generations of the past, and the future, when you’re enjoying a meal with family?

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Get the Recipe:

Butternut & Mushroom Penne

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

 

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• 1 lb. butternut squash, cut in cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus enough to drizzle over the butternut
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 lb. whole-wheat penne
• 4 cups sliced baby Portabella mushrooms
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 piece of ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. On a baking sheet layer the butternut squash and drizzle olive oil on top. Lightly salt and pepper, and add the nutmeg. Mix together and roast for 17-20 minutes, until tender.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and penne and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and crushed pepper; cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cilantro (reserve some for the garnish) and the stock; reduce heat to simmer.
• Add the pasta to the mixture and stir, adding in 1 cup of cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish the dish with 1 cup of cheese and the rest of the chopped cilantro.

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

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