Delicata Squash with Quinoa Pasta

This evening's weeknight meal was a mix of trying to make a decent meal and trying to clear out the fridge with its mix of post-holiday ingredients. Not only that, it's illustrative of how I sometimes cobble together a weeknight meal.

It started with that Delicata squash that's been staring at me every time I come into the kitchen from last week's box. OK, you are the main ingredient tonight. How about sauteed squash over pasta, I thought. A quick check of the pantry confirmed that there were lots of pasta choices, including our favorite quinoa pasta. A plan was unfolding.

Cutting and cleaning the squash got me thinking that there needs to be a counterpoint. Going through the fridge, I noted a few jars of sun dried tomatoes. Nearby were the remains of some oldish goat cheese that can add that creaminess. And there's that bunch of spinach from last week and we're getting another bunch tomorrow. Now we're getting somewhere.

How to tie all these disparate ingredients together? There's the last of some remaining pesto from another holiday meal. Perfect.

While the pasta water heated up...

1. Saute cubed squash in olive oil
2. Add roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir
3. Add some roughly chopped parsley and stir
4. Add cleaned spinach leaves and stir
5. Add most of the pesto and stir. Reserve some pesto for the pasta
6. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
7. Drain pasta and return to pan. Add some oil and pesto and stir to mix well
8. Plate pasta and top with squash mixture
9. Top with crumbles of goat cheese

A bottle of 2008 Beringer Alluvium Blanc Knights Valley complements it all.

Addendum

More Delicata Squash recipes:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/delicata-squash-recipes-recipe.html