A couple of years ago, a friend from Zimbabwe mentioned that they love to eat peanut butter and pumpkin there ground together in a sort of mush or puree.  Loving both of those ingredients, I kept the idea of that mixture in my back pocket until this Fall.

Peanut butter, while maligned now, was one of the most comforting, nourishing foods on the planet for me when I was a child and still is, it seems,  for so many children we know.  For many years every single day, I ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread that my grandmother would make with freshly ground peanut butter and cut into four triangles.  If not for those sandwiches, it is doubtful whether I would have survived at all, and to this day, I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  They are like mother’s milk, or perhaps grandmother’s milk.

In New York, I discovered sesame noodles, a grown up version of my childhood love, with that luscious sauce, both sweet and salty, and the little bite of the noodles.  Delicious.

To bring this dish to the mini-chef’s table, we used soba noodles, packed with much more protein than your average noodle. We topped our peanut butter-sesame noodles with one of the best ingredients of the Autumn, butternut squash, roasted with a little bit of maple syrup to bring out its natural sweetness.

The sauce for this dish is definitely a balancing act.  For adults, I strongly suggest adding some chili ginger sauce or Sriracha, on top or right into your sauce.  This flavor might be too strong for Yummies’ tender palates, so try making it as in the recipe below and adding some heat only if you know that your mini-chef is up for it.  These noodles are so good at any temperature, warm, cold, or in between.  If you prefer to use some other roasted vegetable or, if serving the dish cold, a shredded cucumber, carrot, or beet, substitute to your heart’s content.  The butternuts are satisfying, though, and work really well to balance the drama of the sauce.

Soba Noodles with a Peanut Sauce and Roasted Butternut Squash

For the Butternut Squash:

• 4-5 lb. butternut squash, peeled
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 T. maple syrup
• one pinch of salt and some black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut the peeled squash in half length-wise and scoop out all the seeds with a spoon or an ice cream scoop.  Cube the seeded squash into 1-inch chunks.
3. With your mini-chef, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the squash down onto the parchment in one layer.  Pour the ingredients on top and toss with your hands to coat evenly.
4. Big Person: cook the squash for about 45 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart.  Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving atop the dish.

For the Soba Noodles and Sauce:

• 2 lbs. soba noodles
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 T. peeled and chopped ginger
• 1 t. mustard (yellow or whole-grain)
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1 T. toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 c. tahini
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• the juice of one lime (or the juice of 1/2 lemon)
• optional: chili ginger sauce or Sriracha, to taste
• for garnish: the green tops of 2-3 scallions

1. Set up a big pot with water (no salt since the noodles are already very salty), cover, and bring to a boil while preparing the sauce.
2. With your mini-chef, place all of the ingredients into the bowl of an UNPLUGGED food processor (or blender).  Secure the top, turn on the processor, and blend until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Unplug the processor, and pour the sauce into a large serving bowl.
4. Prepare your noodles according to the directions on the package.  We suggest running cool water over the noodles (I know! I know!  But…) since soba noodles are very glutenous and have a tendency to stick together.  Make sure to save some of the cooking water (scoop out about a cup of it before you drain the noodles)to thin the sauce if need be.
5. When the noodles are ready, drain them (and run them under cold water), and pour them right into the  serving bowl over the sauce.  Toss the noodles and sauce together gently.  If the sauce is too thick, add some of the cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it, checking to the consistency after each addition.  The sauce should be thick but not so thick that you cannot toss the noodles properly.
6. Top with the roasted butternut squash chunks, the scallions, and serve the hot sauce on the side.  Enjoy!