I am a lover of pasta, but so many of the delicious recipes have so. much. cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I am also a lover of cheese, buuuuut it usually gives me a stomach ache (worth it).

I wanted to find a pasta dish that would be really healthy and equally simple/cheap to make. Many of the ones I found sounded dry and tasteless, so I made some improvements to make this savory, hearty (and dare I say fancy) dinner! Butternut squash is packed with Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and magnesium, and it makes this dish taste amazing. Even better, almost all of the ingredients were things I always have on hand.

If you’re looking for an easy, low fat, nutrient-packed pasta dish, give this one a try. It is also lactose-free and can easily be made vegetarian (substituting veg. broth for chicken broth). Great meatless main!

Sage + Butternut Squash Linguine

Cost for ingredients we did not already have on hand = <$10.00.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 bunch of Swiss Chard (looks like Romaine lettuce with a red tint; you’ll find it in the produce section)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs butter
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 lb of linguine
• 2 tbs fresh sage

Directions:

• Peel and cube the butternut squash. Mince garlic. Chop the onion, wash the swiss chard thoroughly and cut leaves into 2 inch thin strips (discard stems).
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté garlic for a few minutes. Add chicken broth and bread crumbs, stirring to thicken. Add olive oil, red pepper flakes, onion and squash.
• Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and add 1 lb of linguini. Cook according to directions.
• Cook for several minutes until the butternut squash is soft and a sauce begins to form. Add the swiss chard and chopped sage. Cook 5 more minutes.
• Combine sauce with cooked and drained linguine. Enjoy while hot!

Hope you enjoy!