Shock! Horror! A savoury recipe from me that doesn’t involve pastry! I haven’t really posted any meal recipes on Domestic Gothess yet, that doesn’t mean that I don’t eat savoury food (unfortunately one cannot live on cake alone…), or that I don’t cook (I do, a lot), it is just that unlike when I bake, where everything is weighed out and timed precisely, my cooking style tends to be somewhat more haphazard…I don’t weigh ingredients, or time how long things take to cook, or follow recipes; my method is generally to chuck things in a pan and cook them until they look done. That’s not to say that I am a bad cook – my cooking tastes good, I’m just not particularly precise about it.
Which is why up until now I haven’t posted any non-baked recipes, because it involves changing the whole way I cook – weighing things and timing processes and making notes, and generally when I cook I just want to get it done – because I’m hungry! So I thought I’d ease myself into the different cooking style by making a recipe that I have cooked many times before, that I pretty much know the quantities and timings of off by heart. And that dish is spinach and ricotta pasta with roast butternut squash and red onion.
It is a very quick, simple dish to prepare but is also delicious, filling and super healthy – it is jam packed full of colourful vegetables and I use wholewheat pasta to make it that little bit healthier and more filling. It does contain cheese, but ricotta is fairly low calorie and parmesan is strongly flavoured so you don’t need to use a vast quantity of it for the flavour to come through – besides, cheese is high in protein! This recipe quantity serves four hungry people but you could probably stretch it to serve six (small portions) if you also have sides.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash, about 1.2kg unprepared weight
- 1 large red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 350g (12 oz) pasta (I used wholemeal)
- 350g (12 oz) fresh spinach
- 250g (9 oz) ricotta cheese
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- parmesan/grana padano cheese, to taste
- salt and pepper
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
Peel the butternut squash and scrape out the seeds, cut into chunks and tip into a large roasting tin, slice the red onion and add to the tin along with the garlic, herbs, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss everything together to coat then roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
Wash and shred the spinach then wilt it in a hot, dry pan. Pour off any excess water, then stir in the ricotta, nutmeg, a generous grating of parmesan and some salt and pepper, heat through.
Drain the cooked pasta and stir into the spinach mixture, add the roasted vegetables.
Check the seasoning and add more parmesan, salt and pepper as needed.
I am sharing this with Fiesta Friday, Totally Talented Tuesdays, Create, Link, Inspire, Foodie Fridays and Foodie Friends Friday
mylifecookbook
January 23, 2015 at 11:20 amThis looks heavenly. I started making my own ricotta but I don’t have many recipes to use it with. i’m definitely pinning this. Thanks! (found you on Foodie Friday).
hannahhossack
January 23, 2015 at 7:20 pmThank you 🙂 I’ve been meaning to try making my own cheese, I think ricotta is probably a good one to start with
Helen at Casa Costello
January 23, 2015 at 8:17 pmMmm I could just devour Roasted Butternut Squash right now! I’m like you with non-baked food – It sometimes works, it sometimes doesn’t! I’m tempted to try a non-cheese version of this lovely looking meal. Thanks loads for Joining in with #FoodieFriday x
hannahhossack
January 25, 2015 at 12:06 pmI love roasted butternut squash 🙂 I like to roast it until it is just starting to blacken around the edges…yum!
Truly Madly Kids (@TrulyMadly7)
January 27, 2015 at 11:16 amDelicious! I’ve recently given up meat so great to see meals like this #tastytuesdays
hannahhossack
January 27, 2015 at 9:55 pmThank you 🙂 I’ve been vegetarian my whole life so I’ve got plenty more up my sleeve to blog (when I get bored of making cakes…)
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
January 27, 2015 at 12:51 pmOh wow this looks so good!! It would go down well here x #TastyTuesdays
hannahhossack
January 27, 2015 at 9:55 pmThank you 🙂 x
claremansell
January 27, 2015 at 1:43 pmI love butternut squash and I’m always looking for quick ideas for weeknight suppers. I shall be pinning this!
hannahhossack
January 27, 2015 at 9:56 pmMe too 🙂 I eat it at least twice a week!
Laura @ Life with Baby Kicks
January 28, 2015 at 6:23 amlooks delicious! Definitely one to try x
hannahhossack
January 29, 2015 at 9:02 pmthank you 🙂
Sue
January 30, 2015 at 2:13 pmBeautiful, and looks absolutely delicious. Your photographs are wonderful!
polianthus
January 30, 2015 at 2:47 pmlooks wonderful and is sure to be healthy as well yum!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
January 30, 2015 at 4:18 pmOooh looks yummy! And I’m the same way when I cook!
chefjulianna
January 30, 2015 at 6:27 pmOMG! If I eat this, how will I have room for your beautiful cake???? :/
Nancy
January 30, 2015 at 7:08 pmThis looks like the perfect blend of ingredients to create one fabulous dish, Hannah! Beautiful, tempting photos as well. Thanks for providing a delicious entree for the FF Anniversary Party at the Novice Gardeners!
Julie's Family Kitchen
January 30, 2015 at 7:38 pmSuch a gorgeous looking pasta dish packed full of tasty veg, I’m sure I would really enjoy this. Must try.
Honest Mum
January 30, 2015 at 9:58 pmWow that is beautiful, I just want to dive right in! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Johanne Lamarche
February 1, 2015 at 4:54 amMy kind of dish for a weeknight chock full of all I love. YUm!
Frugal Hausfrau
February 2, 2015 at 9:31 amThis dish certainly looks incredible! I am not in love with squash, but try to eat it because it’s good for me – I think I can now be enticed! 🙂
hannahhossack
February 2, 2015 at 12:58 pmThank you 🙂 I LOVE squash, it’s my favourite vegetable, I like it roasted with herbs and spices until it’s just starting to go black around the edges…yum!
dishofdailylife
February 6, 2015 at 3:30 amThat is totally the way I cook too! Putting recipes down on paper is a challenge because I have to measure and keep track of temperatures, etc and that is not easy for me, because I’m a little of this, a little of that, until it tastes right. LOL But baking is another story…baking is seriously hard for me. It requires concentration and patience…neither of which I have. This dish looks amazing!
hannahhossack
February 6, 2015 at 10:45 pmI really struggle with writing recipes as most of the time I’m just making it up as I go along! I’m much more organised with baking though and plan in advance what I’m going to do, I find baking relaxing (except when it goes wrong…that can put me in a mood for days!)
Laura
February 7, 2015 at 7:26 amThis looks delicious, love the addition of a little nutmeg which always works so well with flavours like spinach and ricotta. Will definitely give this pasta a try! (Found on recipe of the week)
hannahhossack
February 7, 2015 at 2:17 pmThank you 🙂 I always add a little nutmeg when I’m cooking with spinach