Delicata Squash Alfredo

Last night I discovered a new favorite food - raw squash! I love cooked squash, a late-in-life discovery, but it holds no candle to the texture and flavor to uncooked squash. When you cook it, the squash becomes starchy, a reaction to the breaking down of its enzymes. When eaten raw, it's clean & sweet. Matchsticks of squash would be a perfect addition to any veggie platter, tossed over greens, or even mixed into a potato salad. I'll be exploring more with this, especially since I have a hallway lined with a variety of fresh squash from my CSA.

After eating this meal, I became energized and felt so much healthier than I have in a while. The bright orange squash is full of vitamin C - something so valuable this time of year. On top of that, the Alfredo sauce was healthy and light, a drastic distance from heavy, cheesy Alfredo. Now don't get me wrong, I love a rich creamy white sauce poured thick over long strands of warm pasta, but this meal was a nice alternative on those nights when you want a comfort food without the extra 5 pounds added to your mid-section. I especially think this would be nice in the summer, with a side salad and a maybe some extra veggies like peas and shredded carrots tossed in as well. Either way, I'm thoroughly pleased with this new discovery of how to enjoy winter squash.

Delicata Squash Alfredo
1 small delicata squash (any other type would work, too), peeled and shredded or spiralized
1 small orange pepper, diced
1 C low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 t salt
pepper & garlic powder (to taste)

Toss pepper with squash and set aside. In a bowl whisk yogurt, parsley, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in lemon zest. To serve: pile a mound of squash on plate, top with sauce and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Enjoy!!