Gluten Free Butternut Squash Alfredo

This past Spring, I went from doing my own version of the Whole 30 diet to eating – with a bit of moderation – whatever I wanted. I didn’t see any major changes in weight or energy levels, so I’ve been eating this way since. I quickly remembered why I had decided on a Whole 30 diet, though: I have a terrible habit of popping into the nearest Duane Reade to grab a bag of candy between meals.

I am trying to be better – to strike a balance between overly indulgent meals and health food. This dish is one attempt at it; rather than regular noodles with a cream-based sauce, I went for zucchini noodles and a vegetable-based alfredo. The roasty mushrooms bring a bit of texture and with a bit of parmesan, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, it satisfied my pasta cravings!

The recipe itself took about 45 minutes to make, and I plan on eating each of the three portions for lunches this week. There was enough sauce and shiitake for a fourth portion – you’d just need to get a fourth zucchini. Recipe inspiration thanks to Joyful Healthy Eats.

Ingredients:

8 oz of shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and rinsed

1 medium butternut squash

3-4 zucchinis

1 cup of whole milk

1 cup of vegetable broth

1 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of soy sauce

1/2 cup of chopped red onions

Oil, salt, pepper, paprika

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, slice your butternut squash into four halves (once lengthwise and twice in half), removing the stem and bottom. Place in a pot and fill with water until most of the squash is covered, then put a lid on and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes, or until the squash has softened enough so that you can easily slice off the skin once cooled. Remove the skin and chop into smaller cubes, about 2-4 inches each. Set aside.

Remove the stems of your mushrooms with your fingers, then slice into 1/4 inch strips.

Toss mushroom slices with a tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari and a tablespoon of oil. Stir and sprinkle on a bit of paprika, then spread evenly on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway.

Turn off oven and leave the mushrooms inside to dry out as the oven cools.

In a pot, saute the onions lightly with the butter, then add in your squash. Pour in the vegetable broth and simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash is soft and easily pierced. Pour in the milk, then use an immersion blender (or pour into a regular blender) to combine. Once fully blended and smooth, add a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make zoodles, I like to first peel off the skin of the zucchini. Then, chop off both ends and use a spiralizer or a vegetti to make your noodles.

Toss the noodles with the sauce, sprinkle with a drop of olive oil and a few shakes of Parmesan, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and enjoy!