Oh my.. it’s been awhile since I posted a “What the Tolson’s Ate”.. sorry about that. I know you were dying to know.
Right?
Well. I have to be honest. My husband wouldn’t touch this dish with a ten foot pole. So, I guess it should be titled.. what Sarah, and T3 and Miss H ate. 🙂 And, um, we loved it, and he totally should have participated. I created this recipe after I visited a swanky hotel in Oregon and had the most amazing butternut risotto. It was the risotto of my life. For real. They served their dish with fried sage, but I.am.just.not.that.fancy. My kids also aren’t huge risotto fans, so I thought a pasta version would be better.
They really aren’t huge pasta fans either, so we don’t do a lot of pasta in this house. But, this one was such a winner that I had to post it for you.
You need to know, not all gluten free pasta’s are created equal, and some require a little more hand holding than others. Trader Joe’s brand is the least expensive I have found, coming in at 1.99 for a pound of organic brown rice pasta. This one needs a bit of attention. It’s a needy bag of pasta. 🙂
Tinkyada brand (found at most health food stores) is almost double the price for the same amount, but, it does hold it’s shape and texture much better. Your choice, my friends.
With any pasta, gluten free or not, boiling salted water is the very least you need for a good end result (read nice bite, not mushy). I do not leave my pasta, like I used to be able to do with the wheat brands. I stand, and I watch, and I stir, and as soon as it is done, I throw it in a strainer and rinse it with cool water. This has saved me the “pasta mush” that results from over cooking.
Seriously.. brown rice pasta will disintegrate if you over cook it. Don’t try that at home. Unless you have $1.99 to spare and really want to see what happens. 🙂
Gluten Free Butternut Pasta –
1 pound of gluten free spiral pasta (regular pasta would work too, but get the spiral shape.. it holds the sauce better)
1 can Organic Butternut Squash puree (pumpkin would work, but may be too sweet)
3-4 Tablespoons good quality butter (don’t fuss.. butter is a good fat)
1 garlic clove
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Heavy Cream to loosen the sauce
Pecorino Romano (Optional.. for garnish)
Cook your pasta until done. Before draining, reserve a half cup of the hot pasta water in a seperate bowl. Drain and rinse pasta, and leave in the strainer while you make your sauce. In the saucepan, on medium, melt the butter and add 1 whole garlic clove. Let the clove heat up in the butter for a minute or two before removing. You want a slight garlic hint, not big chunks of garlic. Add the puree and the reserved pasta water and mix. Salt and Pepper to taste. This is where the heavy cream comes in. If the sauce is still too thick, add a splash or two of heavy cream to loosen the sauce. That’s it. Before adding the pasta to coat, make sure the sauce is hot. Your cooling pasta will gum up and refuse to mix with a lukewarm/cold sauce. I garnish mine with lots of cracked black pepper and a little Pecorino. Yum.
And for the record, this is a perfect fall dish. It isn’t ideal for summer time, but I love it, and would eat it any time. It’s a great way to get some nutritious butternut squash into your little people. 🙂
Happy Eating!
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