italian-inspired pumpkin, spinach and navy bean stew

This is one of our favourite family meals and satisfies the hunger of meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. It's wonderful because it can be made through all the seasons switching pumpkin for squash or sweet potato; fresh tomatoes for canned ones and spinach for kale or swiss chard.

The recipe is really loose as I made it up completely and generally cook by feel as opposed to measuring everything out.

Ingredients

1 large squash or pumpkin, cut into big bite-sized chunks

4 medium tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

vegetable stock

red wine

handful of black and green olives pitted and roughly chopped

1-2 tbs brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

dry or fresh thyme, oregano, basil

2 cups cooked and drained navy or cannellini beans

1 1/2 cups chopped spinach

Directions

Roast the tomatoes in the oven at 200˚ for 15 minutes, remove from oven, peel skins and roughly chop

Pour olive oil into large pan and saute garlic until just golden

Add chopped and peeled tomatoes and herbs, sugar, salt and pepper

Stir and continue to saute for 5 minutes

Add pumpkin and cover with 3/4 vegetable stock to 1/4 red wine

Add olives

Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered until pumpkin is soft then remove lid and continue to simmer so that it becomes thick and stewy

Add beans and chopped spinach last until bright green

Remove from heat and serve

You can top it with ricotta or parmasean cheese for extra flavour. Enjoy with a sliced baguette for dipping.

Serves approx. 3-4 adults.

xo m.