Maple Roasted Squash & Soba Noodles

There are many reasons why I love fall... the colorful leaves, crisp fresh mornings, rainy days, apple cider (anything apple, really), and most importantly, the beginning of the winter squash season. There are so many different varieties of winter squash, and I love them ALL. Delicata, butternut, spaghetti, kabocha, the list goes on and on. Seriously, how could you pick between all of these beauties? Luckily, with all the different Farmers Markets here, I don't have to. I can pick up a few of my favorites each week and enjoy them all. Phew.

If you are like me, and your diet consists of 50% kale and 50% squash (ok, that may be an exaggeration), then you will love this dish. The sweet roasted delicata squash and the slightly crispy kale will delight any veggie-lover's palate. Plus the miso red-chili pepper sauce gives it just the perfect amount of kick at the end. Are you drooling yet? I am.

Here's the recipe.....

Maple-Roasted Squash & Soba Noodles

Ingredients: 

- 1 lb (delicata) squash, diced- any winter squash should do (please note: some squash you may need to peel)

- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

- 2 Tablespoons olive oil

- Salt and pepper

- 1 bunch kale

- 1 Tablespoon olive oil

- Buckwheat soba noodles 

- Fresh basil, chopped 

- Seeds from squash, toasted 

For the Sauce:

- 3 Tablespoons olive oil

- 1 Tablespoon miso paste

- 1 Teaspoon maple syrup 

- 1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar

- water to taste

- 1-2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place diced squash onto baking sheet. Mix together oil and maple syrup and pour over squash. Add salt and pepper (a pinch of each). Toss to combine. NOTE: although the picture doesn't show, place a piece of tin foil on top of baking sheet... this will make clean up much easier!

2 options for the kale: 

- Baking: if you like crispier kale (i.e. kale chips) use the baking method and combine kale and olive oil on baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes (do this while squash is baking). Once done, place in a bowl and set aside. 

- Saute: if you want softer, more tender kale, you can heat oil in pan and saute kale for 3 minutes, until it turns bright green. Remove from heat, and set aside. 

After (or during) the kale prep, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook soba noodles per instructions. 

Using a food processor, quickly mix the sauce ingredients together (minus the red pepper flakes- add those after). 

Toss the sauce, soba noodles, squash and kale together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the basil, seeds and extra red pepper flakes, if so desired. Serve and enjoy while warm! 

Food for thought:

- Squash can be a pain in the you-know-what to cook with. Chopping that thing open, peeling and dicing can be time-consuming. If you know you will be using squash in a few meals, do all the prep ahead of time. I like to put on some Frank Sinatra while I prep the squash.... call me crazy, but it does help. Peel and dice the whole thing ahead of time and store in a large container in your fridge. It should last a few weeks, and makes meal prep much more enjoyable, especially if you are on a  tight schedule.