Cuisine Eric

The rich, sweet roasted butternut squash is complemented with sautéed onions and Pancetta.  In this flexetarian dish, just a tad of meat is used here as a spice really, with most of the protein coming from the lentil pasta.  But even if you were to avoid the meat completely, and substitute regular pasta, you will have a wonderfully satisfying vegetarian meal. 12 oz favorite pasta (I used Trader Joe’s red lentil ziti) 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced 3/4-inch (about 2 lb) 1/4 lb Pancetta, diced (or bacon) 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried), or other favorite herbs 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425F.   Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta.   Salt the water generously with 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt.   In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil.   Season with salt and pepper. Spread squash out evenly on a rimmed sheet pan.   Roast for about 20 minutes, turning...

This is a generic master recipe which can be used with many different noodles and vegetables.  Tofu (soy) combined with whole wheat or buckwheat noodles, for example, can provide quite a bit of complete protein, making this a hearty flexetarian meal. A fun, flavorful, healthful mean for somebody's birthday. You can certainly use vegetable broth or water, if you prefer a complete vegetarian affair. 1/2 lb whole wheat vermicelli (or angel hair) pasta, cut in half, or other favorite Asian noodles 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 yellow onion, sliced 1/2 lb mushrooms, slightly chopped (I used organic Maitake from California) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced 1 tub firm tofu cubed 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp red miso 1 qt beef broth 4 baby boy chow, quartered lengthwise 1/3 cup shredded carrots garnish: toasted sesame seeds crushed red pepper flakes a few leaves fresh ci...