Creamy One-Pot Butternut Squash Pasta with White Beans and Kale

Dinner, Pasta, To Try

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves (about 1 ounce), divided

1 small lemon

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (salted or unsalted is fine)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

6 cloves garlic

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans

12 ounces dried linguine

1 cup canned butternut squash purée (can sub sweet potato or pumpkin purée)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 1/2 cups water

1/2 to 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

3 cups loosely-packed baby kale (3 ounces, can sub baby spinach or a baby kale mix)

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved with a Y-peeler (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

Finely chop 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves and finely grate the zest of 1/2 small lemon. Transfer both to a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, season with salt as needed (this amount will vary depending on if your roasted pepitas were salted), and stir to combine; set aside. Halve the lemon and set aside.

Thinly slice 6 garlic cloves and add to a large straight-sided skillet (we like this one) or Dutch oven. Drain and rinse 1 can cannellini beans. Add 1/2 the beans, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 12 ounces linguine, 1 cup canned butternut squash purée, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Add 4 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat (this will take about 5 minutes). Boil the mixture, stirring and turning the pasta with tongs to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente and almost all the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. In the last two minutes of cooking, add 3 cups baby kale.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the plain Greek yogurt, the remaining beans, the juice from 1/2 the lemon, and the remaining 1 cup basil leaves (tear them as you add them). Toss with tongs, and taste, adding more lemon juice and salt as needed. If you prefer a creamier pasta, add the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt. Divide the pasta between 6 bowls and garnish each bowl with the pumpkin seed-basil mixture, shaved Parmesan cheese, and more black pepper.

Notes

Reheating: To reheat leftovers, warm in a skillet with a splash of water, tossing until the sauce loosens up and is creamy. Season with salt, to taste, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Nutrition

shellfish-free
fish-free
alcohol-free
vegetarian
peanut-free
pork-free
pescatarian
balanced
sugar-conscious
tree-nut-free
high-fiber
soy-free
egg-free
red-meat-free
Calories 467
Fat 15.9 g (24.4%)
Saturated 4.0 g (19.8%)
Carbs 62.3 g (20.8%)
Fiber 6.4 g (25.4%)
Sugars 3.4 g
Protein 20.4 g (40.7%)
Sodium 726.8 mg (30.3%)