Happy Fall, friends! Are you warm? Are you drowning in yoga pants and blankets with the heater on full blast and the fireplace crackle sound effects going in the background so you can pretend your fireplace works or am I alone in that? Being comfy and warm during fall is the BEST. I feel like the food equivalent of a cozy fall evening is this roasted fall veggie pesto pasta with a drizzle of balsamic glaze cause #wefancy. It’s got homemade sprouted wheat fettuccine noodles (plus some packaged spaghetti mixed in cause I ate too many of the homemade noodles before taking picx…) tossed in olive oil and my 5-Veggie Pesto Sauce, topped with roasted butternut squash, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn and some fresh greens mixed in at the very end. Savory, hearty, filling and a tiny bit of sweet. All the healthy flavors to welcome in fall are right here in this bowl.
The Inspiration
Honestly I wanted to make something pumpkin-flavored but literally every store in Atlanta seems to be sold out of canned pumpkin. So I buckled down and put a real pumpkin in my Instacart order. That was me being open-minded, ready and willing to actually slice open a pumpkin and roast it to get a pumpkin-flavored something up on this blog. But nope. Even real pumpkin is sold out. Sigh. There was one hope, though: Nummy Tum Tum Pure Organic Pumpkin Dog and Cat Food supplement. That was truly the only pumpkin item available in the whole grocery store. I turned the can over to see what was actually in it, and it turns out it was just pumpkin. So, totally edible but I dunno, I guess I’m just not that desperate to make something pumpkin flavored. Sorry. So butternut squash is now my inspiration.
I’m actually cool with pumpkin being the new toilet paper in the “things you can’t find anywhere this quarantine” category. Otherwise I never would have tried butternut squash in pasta and come up with this tasty deliciousness. Between the veggie-loaded pesto sauce and 7 more veggies in the topping, you get in well over 2 cups of recommended veggies per meal and tons of nutrient diversity which I’m learning is really important when it comes to nourishing a healthy gut. So please round up some veggies to roast up and toss in some pasta to try this satisfying meal!
In other exciting news…
I’ll be spending the next few weeks nurturing my mind, body and soul as a scholarship recipient of the Sakara Fall Re: Program! Ah seriously this is the most exciting thing to happen to me all of quarantine (besides getting married). Sakara is a plant-based meal delivery company focused on nutrient-dense, fresh and healing ingredients. I have fangirled over them for years and even mentioned them in some earlier blog posts. When I saw that they were giving away one scholarship for this upcoming program focused on restoring your mind, renewing your soul and refreshing your body, I knew I had to apply. I’ll make a post about my application and review my journey on the program in coming blog posts so look forward to more content around that!
If you haven’t already, please follow me on Instagram for more inspiration on how to fill your life with greens.
Alright that’s it for now. Have a lovely Monday!
Roasted Fall Veggie Pesto Pasta with Balsamic Glaze
Simple weeknight dinner of roasted fall veggies with sprouted wheat noodles and veggie loaded pesto sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat or sprouted wheat noodles
- 1.5 cups pesto sauce
- 1 cup butternut squash cubed
- 8-10 spears asparagus chopped
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup cremini or button mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup white onion sliced
- 2 cups leafy greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- pince salt and pepper
Instructions
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Prepare the roasted veggies: preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line two pans with aluminum foil. Chop butternut squash into one-inch cubes, asparagus and onion into two-inch long pieces, mushrooms into 1/4 inch thick slices and grape tomatoes in half.
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On your first pan, add butternut squash and asparagus. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in oven for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and fully cooked, tossing halfway through.
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On your second pan, add tomatoes, corn and onion. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining 1 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until corn and tomatoes are charred, tossing halfway through.
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Boil your pasta according to package instructions (or make your own). Toss with 1 tsp of olive oil when done.
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Add roasted veggies to a pot or bowl when done roasted and toss in 2 cups of leafy greens (I used baby kale).
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Top pesto pasta with roasted veggie blend, drizzle with balsamic glaze and enjoy!