Thursday, October 23, 2008

DELICIOUS PASTA WITH SMOKED TOFU, CHARD AND WINTER SQUASH

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I'm really liking the combination of chard and winter squash right now. They really complement each other, in both color and flavor, and they happen to be plentiful, locally, right now. I made the following recipe for lunch yesterday-- so easy to make and it's a whole meal in itself! It also gave me a chance to use some of my homemade smoked tofu. (But you can use any good commercial brand, if that's not possible.)


Printable Recipe

PASTA WITH SMOKED TOFU, CHARD AND WINTER SQUASH
Servings: 4
For the winter squash, you can use any "meaty" orange-fleshed winter squash, such as butternut, Hubbard or kabocha.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz smoked tofu, in small cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups vegan chicken-y broth (such as better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken broth paste)
1 lb orange winter squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes ( about 3 cups)
1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, thinly sliced (4-5 cups sliced)
8 oz whole wheat penne, rigatoni or fusilli
3/4 cup Bryanna's Vegan Bechamel Sauce (you can make it without the fat if you want)
1/2 cup vegan parmesan (our favorite is G0 Vegan! or this yummy homemade version)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the smoked tofu to the pan, along with the broth and squash, and bring it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chard and stir to mix in thoroughly. Cover and cook until the squash and chard are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook thepasta until just tender, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain it and add the squash mixture in the skillet, along with the Parmesan sub, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix.

Serve hot with more Parmesan sub on the side.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
558.2 calories; 8% calories from fat; 5.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 546.3mg sodium; 740.8mg potassium; 104.4g carbohydrates; 9.8g fiber; 4.1g sugar; 94.6g net carbs; 23.0g protein; 10.8 points.


Enjoy!




1 comment:

Monique a.k.a. Mo said...

That sounds really good! And the chard is just gorgeous.