Delicious Pasta Gratin

Good evening!

After class, I came home and started making dinner for Diran and I.
An incredible gratin that really surprised me!

Adaptation of “Gratin de pâtes aux légumes” from Recettes de filles by Marabout Chef

Print recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 butternut squash, seeds removed, peeled and cut in big pieces
• 454 g package baby spinach
• 150 g whole-wheat spaghettini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 160 ml vegetable broth
• 2 x 398 ml can tomato sauce (I use no salt added)
• 340 g package shredded cheese (I used Italian mix)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and cook squash (10 minutes). Use a strainer or a spoon to remove squash from the pot and use the same water to cook spinach (1 minute). Strain spinach and place on a clean kitchen towel to absorb the water. Rinse the pot and fill again with water to cook pasta, following package directions.
Mash the squash with a fork or potato masher. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to be translucent. Add mashed squash and broth, mix and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Grease 2 bread pans or 1 big baking dish (I use coconut oil).
Spread squash mixture on the bottom, then add half of the pasta, followed by the tomato sauce, two handfuls of cheese, the remaining pasta, the spinach, the remaining cheese and pepper to taste.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Makes 6 servings

Directions in pictures!
Cook squash and spinach, then mash the squash.

Cook the pasta.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook onion.

Add squash and broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed.

Now it is time to layer the dish!!
1st goes the squash mixture.

2nd: Half the pasta.

3rd: Tomato sauce.

4th: A handful of cheese (for each bread pan – or two handfuls for a big baking dish).

5th: Second half of the pasta.

6th: Spinach.

7th and last: cheeeeeeeese (and black pepper).

Bake and enjoy!

When you cut this gratin, it will be very liquid. Don’t panic. It is delicious that way :-).
And I seem to be in a take-as-much-pictures-a you-can phase.