'tis the season for squash...

had an impromtu dinner party last night... don't you just love it when friends stop by on a whim and you just happen to have just made a big piping hot bowl of pasta with butternut squash and opened a bottle of wine? it was like my fantasy come true!!!

the night before i had roasted some butternut squash in the oven (recipe below). butternut squash is perfect for the flu season as it is high in vitamin b6 which boosts your immune system. it's also high in carotenoids which help prevent heart disease, has been proven to help deter breast cancer and because of it's high antioxidant content can help reduce inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. and for you pregnant ladies-- butter nut squash can help healthy lung development in fetuses!

what i love about squash is how versatile it is-- you can just roast it and eat it hot as a perfect side dish to any meal, eat it cold in a salad, put it in the food processor and make a soup etc. i had originally made it to put in a salad with wilted winter greens and nuts but my husband begged for "real" food after he got back from the gym and so i made something up on a whim and it turned out very good!

oven roasted butternut squash

what you'll need:

1 butternut squash

2 tbs butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teasppn ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons rum

pinch of salt

preheat oven to 325*

cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds

distribute all the ingredients evenly among the two halves

place in baking pan

cover and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork all the way through the squash

baste the squash half way through with the melted butter and rum mixture

my spur of the moment pasta sauce

what you'll need:

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 medium onion chopped

2 tbs butter

1 roasted butternut squash (chopped with skin removed)

10 crimini mushrooms chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup chicken stock

touch of half and half

pepperoncini

salt and pepper

in a medium skillet melt the butter

once butter begins to brown add the garlic and onions

when onions are translucent add the butternut squash and sautee for about 10 min.

add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes

then add the chicken stock, pepperoncini, ground cloves and fresh pepper

cook until most of the liquid has evaporated

then add your half and half

season to taste and serve over rigatoni pasta

... everyone enjoyed the meal and we finished off the night with a warm fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream. a perfect monday night!