Project Description

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We love this pasta salad when the seasons change – when tomatoes and basil make way for sweet butternut squash and kale. We use our IP Fusilli Pasta, but it would be equally delicious with any ridged pasta noodles (the ridges catch the sauce!). The great thing is that pasta salads are all about flexibility. Have fun with changing the proportions of ingredients or trying other seasonal ingredients. The red bell pepper in the dressing is a must – it adds a bright flavor that feels right at home with the sweet butternut squash.

We keep the kale raw in this recipe, but if that’s not your thing toss it in with your pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking. If your kale has had a particularly hard day, you might consider giving it a massage.

Autumn Pasta Salad

Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 5 Tbsp fruity olive oil
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

  • 1 box {10 oz} Community Grains Identity Preserved Whole Wheat Fusilli
  • 1 cup roasted butternut squash, diced into small cubes
  • 6 – 8 leaves of dinosaur kale or collard greens, trimmed, washed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 scallions, finely sliced
  • 3 big sprigs of parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp of grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Process all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor until the pepper and garlic is pureed. Set aside.
  2. Heat oven to 400°F. Place the cubed butternut squash on a baking pan and  toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. Bring salted water to boil in a 4 qt sauce pan. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain pasta, then plunge in ice water. In a large bowl, toss the dressing in with the pasta. Mix in remaining ingredients, saving a few of the almonds for garnish. Serve room temperature, garnished with a few almonds.