Vegetarian Bacon, Butternut Squash Pasta with Kale and Carmelized onions

Team: Sharon Sizzlers

Host School: Sharon Elementary School

Age Group: Middle School

Ingredients

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 local butternut squash, cubed
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz whole wheat pasta
1 local bunch lacinato kale, chopped
2 slices tempeh bacon (vermont made rhapsody tempeh), sliced
1 tbs. cabot butter
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups local sliced onion
1 tsp. salt, divided
5 local cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 tbsp. King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (opitional)
1 cup Green Mountain plain greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Cabot cheddar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Start boiling pasta water.
Cut butternut squash in half, remove seeds and cut off skin. Cut into small cubes.
Toss the squash and the oil in a large bowl until well combined.  Spread squash out over a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Squash can also be sautee in a pan.
Cut the ribs out of the kale. Chop the kale into smaller pieces.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 7 minutes, until al dente.  Add the kale to the pot in the last two minutes of cooking and drain.
Cut tempeh into slices of “bacon”.
Peel onions and slice into thin strips.
Peel garlic and mince it small.
Add a tbsp. of olive oil to a pan and heat up.  Over medium heat, cook the tempeh until crispy.  Remove from the pan and cut into bite sized pieces. 
Add a tbs. of butter to the pan and melt. Add the onion to the pan. Sprinkle with a tsp. of sugar. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally.  Add 1/2 tsp salt and garlic.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add tempeh back into the onions.
Bring 1 3/4 cups broth to boil in a small saucepan.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup broth and the flour, whisking to combine.  Add the flour mixture, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and the red pepper flakes to the pan.  Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in the Greek yogurt.
Combine the squash, pasta mixture, tempeh/onion mixture, and sauce in a large bowl.  Toss gently.  Spread pasta into a 9×13-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with cheddar and bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until bubbling and slightly browned.