Thanksgiving Menu: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This soup is a perfect starter for Thanksgiving dinner, and can be made in advance to cut down on cooking the day of.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
2 large butternut squash
4 Fuji apples
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups apple cider
creme fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-In a dutch oven melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and yellow curry, and cook over low heat, stirring until onions are translucent. 

-Peel and seed the squash, and cut into chunks. Peel and core the apples and cut into chunks.

-Add the squash, apples and vegetable stock to the onions, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cover and cook until the squash and apples soften. Using an immersion blender, puree until everything is smooth.

-Add the apple cider and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche. 

Serves 6.

Based on Ina Garten's recipe in Barefoot Contessa Parties.

Recipe: Fall Pasta Bake

We love fall vegetables, and this dish showcases several of them in a hearty, vegetarian pasta bake.  This is a great pasta for a cozy dinner party, or to cook at the beginning of the week and save - leftovers will be good for a few days, or could even be frozen.  

Ingredients:

14 ounces of penne

1 pound of cubed butternut squash

1 bunch of Tuscan kale, roughly chopped

1/2 pound of cremini mushrooms, chopped

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese

1 8-ounce ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

2 cups of tomato sauce (whatever kind you prefer, we like Vodka sauce in this recipe)

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook the pasta to package instructions and set aside.

Boil water in a separate pot, and add the butternut squash.  Boil until tender, about ten minutes.  Strain, allow to cool slightly, and mash the squash.

In a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over low to medium heat.  Add the shallot, cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes.  Add the mushroom and kale, then stir and cook down for 2-3 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and cover until it cooks down, about 5 more minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomato sauce, butternut squash, kale-mushroom mixture, ricotta, and mozzarella.  

Use the last of the olive oil to coat a 9x9" baking dish, then add the ingredients, packing tightly.

Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, removing foil only for the last 5 minutes to allow a light crust to form.

Allow to cool slightly, and serve.  This slices like a lasagna, but often breaks apart once served, as it isn't so well stacked.  

Serves 8.