Harvest Chilighetti with Ground Turkey and Butternut Squash

I absolutely love the changing of the seasons. That warmth in the winter air as the snow begins to melt when spring is on its way, pink cherry blossoms and lilacs perfuming the air in May, the smell of fresh mown grass, and the sound of crickets as a new school year approaches. But perhaps the most glorious changing of the seasons comes in Autumn when that first chill is in the air and the trees display their fiery splendour in all shades of red, gold, yellow, and orange.

So what better when this kind of vibrant fire is in the air than to serve a warm and comforting dish like to day's Harvest Chilighetti!

 This gorgeous dish is a healthy adaptation of dish my mom used to make when I was growing up. She made hers with ground beef and pork and beans and it was such a great meal because it wasn't only delicious, it was super economical and always made a large potful leaving plenty of leftovers.

My rendition is full of delicious ingredients like butternut squash, black beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and lean ground turkey. Better still (shhhh... don't tell my mother) it's even more comforting and yummy than the original.

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Visit the printable recipe here: Harvest Chilighetti with Ground Turkey and Butternut Squash
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Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked cubed butternut squash (can use frozen and par-boil)
• 1 cup cooked greens like spinach, swiss chard, or kale
• 1 lb ground turkey (breast or thigh)
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 large tin diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 cups dry macaroni or other pasta 

Directions 

1. Cut each cube of squash into four small cubes 
2. Chop the greens
3. Saute the turkey, onion, and red pepper in a nonstick pan lightly sprayed with olive oil or cooking spray 
4. When the turkey is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and saute 1 minute until fragrant. 
5. Add the squash, greens, beans, salsa, tomatoes, and brown sugar and bring to a simmering boil. Turn to low and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
6. Cook the pasta just until al dente and then toss into the ground turkey mixture.

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada, the $20,000.00 winner of the online competition "The Real Women of Philadelphia" and a finalist on the Food Network Canada show Recipe to Riches. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.