Butternut Squash and Sausage Riccioli
As previously established, I’m a sucker for the tastes of fall. This one pot dinner really hits the spot with all of the autumnal flavours – butternut squash, sage, and nutmeg.
Dr. Terry Wahls encourages MS patients to eat more of “those radical things called vegetables”. I think that this is advice that we could all likely heed, MS patient or not. This recipe is a great way to pack in some nutritious vegetables. In addition to being an excellent source of fall essence, butternut squash is a great source of potassium, fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and manganese. Potassium is required for the normal functioning of all cells, aiding in the proper functioning of the muscles and nerves. Consuming a diet rich in potassium has been linked to lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of strokes, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. A diet rich in fibre is good for weight loss, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, regulating blood sugar, and keeping you regular (which can be a problem for some MS patients). One cup of cooked butternut squash (approximately the amount that you will get in one serving of this meal) packs more than the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, and approximately half of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C. The role of Vitamin A in MS appears to be decreasing inflammation, increasing tolerance of autoimmunity, and aiding in brain protection. As an MS patient, sign me up for more Vitamin A please! Manganese is an essential trace mineral which forms part of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Antioxidants help to protect against free radicals, which can damage cells in your body. Superoxide dismutase converts superoxide (a particularly nasty free radical) into smaller molecules that don’t damage cells in your body. All of this being said, you can have too much of a good thing, so don’t go crazy with supplementing manganese. It’s a trace mineral for a reason. Manganese is best obtained from dietary sources.
I use turkey sausages for this recipe. You can use any type of sausages that you’d prefer. However, I encourage you to try it with turkey sausages. I swear that you won’t miss the pork (my husband endorses this statement), and it is a simple way to drastically slash the calories and the fat content of the meal.
Alright, now that I’ve covered the nutritional reasons to make this meal, let’s discuss the fun reasons. My husband described this as “fall in a bowl”. It is the sort of meal that warms you from the inside out. But most importantly, did I mention that this is a ONE POT DINNER?!?!
Shown both before and after the addition of cheese, so that you can have a sense for what it looked like before I absolutely smothered it in parmesan reggiano.
Ingredients:
45 grams (roughly 3 tbsp) butter, divided
3 mild Italian sausages (I used Lilydale)
1 small yellow or white onion
1 lb of large diced butternut squash (roughly 3-4 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (ideally reduced sodium)
170g (2 servings) short whole wheat pasta of your preference (I used Farm Boy Whole Wheat Riccioli)
100 grams (roughly 2 cups) fresh spinach
tbsp minced fresh sage (or tsp dried rubbed sage)
tsp ground nutmeg
Parmesan reggiano, finely grated, to taste (I used 10 grams per serving)
Instructions:
Heat one third of the butter (roughly 1 tbsp) in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sausages to the pot. Cook the sausages until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove the sausages from the pot. Add the remaining butter (roughly 2 tbsp) to the same pot. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and the butternut squash. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, the onions should be translucent and the butternut squash should be beginning to soften. Add the garlic and broth. Once the broth begins to boil, add the pasta and put a lid on the pot while it continues to cook for 8-10 minutes (depending on the cooking time of the pasta that you have selected). In the meantime, cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces. Add the sausage, spinach, sage, and nutmeg to the pot. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness. Top with finely grated parmesan reggiano.
To address the usual questions:
Can you make this dairy free? Absolutely, use olive oil or margarine in place of the butter, and skip the cheese. It will be less creamy, but still a solid dinner choice.
Can you make this gluten free? You betcha, use gluten-free sausages and a gluten-free pasta (or even switch it up and use gluten-free gnocchi).
Nutrition per serving (makes 4 servings):
450 calories
22 grams protein
19 grams fat
8 grams fibre
