Parsley Almond Pesto Pasta with Roasted Squash

Ingredients

For the Parsley Almond Pesto:

• 1 large bunch of parsley (4 cups roughly chopped)
• ½ cup raw whole almonds
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• Juice of half a small lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
• 1 to 2 small cloves of garlic (optional)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• Salt to taste (between ¼ to ½ tsp)

For the Pasta:

• ½ pound angel hair pasta
• 1 small buttercup squash (or your favorite squash)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. 1
   Roughly chop the parsley, almonds, and garlic. Place them and all the other pesto ingredients (except olive oil) in the food processor. Pulse a few times until chopped finely. Add the olive oil slowly while processing. Continue to process until the pesto has reached the consistency you like. (I like mine a bit on the chunky side).
2. 2
   Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut it thinly into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the slices with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Add a few sprinkles of salt if you wish. Roast at 350F for 10 minutes, then flip the slices over and roast for another 5 minutes or until sufficiently tender.
3. 3
   Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to instructions on the package. Be careful, angel hair pasta only takes about 2 to 3 minutes to cook. Drain the pasta and spoon the pesto onto the pasta, tossing well. Place the roasted squash on top of the pasta and garnish with a few roughly chopped almonds and a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped.
4. 4
   Refrigerate any unused pesto. The parsley almond pesto will keep at least one week in the fridge.