Red Lentil Penne Pasta Recipe with Butternut Squash
Live your best plant-based life with this simple and delicious red lentil penne pasta recipe. Carrots and butternut squash go perfectly with the legume penne pasta, while chopped walnuts give it some added texture and satisfying crunch. It's a nutritious and delicious meal that's a total cinch to make. Photo + Recipe Credit: Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla® Red Lentil Penne
4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ small yellow onion, chopped
1 small butternut squash, diced into half-inch pieces
3 cups vegetable broth
3 multi-colored heirloom carrots, sliced
2 tbs. fresh marjoram leaves
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sauté sliced carrots with1 tbs. of the extra-virgin olive oil over high heat for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
3. In another skillet, sauté chopped onion with half the olive oil for 3 minutes and then add the diced butternut squash and the vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, cooking butternut squash until it’s done
4. Once the butternut squash is thoroughly cooked, remove skillet from heat, let ingredients cool and then process 1/3 of mixture in a blender until smooth. Pour the blended ingredients back into the skillet with the other 2/3 of sautéed butternut squash and onions
5. Stir in the sautéed carrots
6. Cook pasta according to package directions and then drain and toss the red lentil penne with the butternut squash and carrot mixture
7. Stir in marjoram leaves and top with walnuts and drizzle with remaining olive oil before serving