dreamfields vegetarian pasta recipe

Dreamfields Beet-Infused-Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

I made this recipe with the Spring season in mind. Spring is a time of colors, warmth, and renewal - which most of us call "spring cleaning".  And although you can enjoy all foods throughout the year, meat-lovers can agree that a few days of vegetarian meals to start off the season can be like a spring cleaning for the body. Especially when you make it using a low-digestible carbohydrate pasta like Dreamfields.

This visually appealing dish is not only good for you, but is easy to make. I used natural beet juice, from canned beets, to give the Dreamfields rotini paseta a funky purple color, and made a beautiful yellow-orange sauce using organic butternut squash, garlic, fresh herbs and carrots. The contrast of the purple pasta and golden sauce is a real eye-catcher! 

It took about 8 cans of sliced beets to give me enough juice to cook the pasta in, but at $0.69 per can, it was very affordable. By "juice" I mean: a. The purple water that is inside of the can, or b. the purple water that results in boiling beets yourself.  I used the sliced beets to make a really refreshing salad with cherry tomatoes, and a garlicky vinaigrette.

I used organic chicken stock in this recipe, but it can be easily substituted with vegetable stock for a truly vegetarian meal. You can use canned or jarred beets if you're short on time (like I did) and don't want to take the time to cook fresh beets, which can take quite some time.

Ingredients:
- 4 to 6 cups of juice (from cooked beets)
- 1 box Dreamfields Rotini Pasta
- 4 cups Butternut squash, diced (or you can use frozen squash)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- shredded parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:

1. Coat the bottom of a sauce pot with a little olive oil and begin to cook the onion, garlic, carrots, and herbs for 7-10 minutes until the onion becomes soft and jelly-like.
2. Add the squash and the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook at medium low until the squash is very soft.
3. Use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor to puree the sauce. Transfer back into the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Fill a pot with the beet juice and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta in the beet juice (follow the cooking times listed on the box instructions). Drain and serve with the squash sauce, top with some fresh shredded Parmesan cheese and enjoy!