Kabocha Squash and Rainbow Chard Pasta

Next in my series of how to cook with vegetables in your CSA, we're going to take a look at the Kabocha squash. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of this one before I cooked it (oops!). But, it is shaped kind of like a pumpkin. Has a deep green skin that is striped. And, can be kind of knobby looking.

While you may not have seen this squash before, you may have eaten it if you've had tempura squash at a Japanese restaurant. The other name it goes by is the Japanese Squash.

Kabocha has a sweeter flavor than a butternut squash and has the texture of a sweet potato. The good thing is you can cook it just like you would a butternut squash or sweet potato. Take a look at my blog on Pumpkin Puree for how to roast. And, you can roast the seeds just like a pumpkin.

Kabocha, like other squash, are great for your health. Their bright orange flesh is high in the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, which translates to vision-protecting Vitamin A.

Now that I have one of these in my CSA share, what am I going to do with it? I had a couple of bunches of Rainbow Chard also in my share and thought doing a fall/winter pasta dish with both of these sounded delicious. Roasting the Kabocha brings out the sweetness of the squash and bitterness of the chard is a nice contrast of flavor and color.

I had some extra time on my hands and decided making fresh pappardelle pasta would be something fun to do for a week night dinner.

The great thing about pastas is they can be a vegetarian meal or can be paired with a protein. I decided to serve this dish with a pan roasted bone-in pork chop.

If you see a Kabocha squash in the market or in your CSA, don't fret. They are easy to cook with and are delicious!

Enjoy the recipe!

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Pappardelle with Kabocha Squash, Browned Butter, and Rainbow Chard

Serves 4

6 cups peeled, cubed Kabocha squash, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 Tbs olive oil 8 oz pappardelle or homemade pasta 1 12-oz. bunch rainbow chard, stems chopped, leaves cut into ribbons 4 Tbs unsalted butter 16 whole fresh sage leaves 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place squash on large rimmed baking sheet, and toss with oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Roast 20 to 25 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions, adding chard stems and leaves during final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pappardelle and chard, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pappardelle and chard to pot.

3. Heat butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes, or until butter browns, stirring occasionally. Add sage and garlic; sauté 5 seconds. Pour browned butter over pappardelle and chard; add squash, and toss to coat. Add reserved cooking water as needed to coat pappardelle. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Top with Parmesan (if using).