By Milena Chiari

Fall is here, and some businesses, such as Starbucks and Trader Joe’s, have already started their fall product lineups. Some of the best fall foods include pumpkins, apples, squash, and sweet potatoes. Recipes vary from pumpkin spice lattes, homemade butternut squash soup, and apple pie. The options are endless in fall cooking, so keep reading to hear how you can ring in the season with some of the best recipes.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Recipe credit to Allrecipes

A simple, yet classic dish is a good ol’ apple crisp. The warm, soft apples mixed with the crunchy sugar create the perfect easy dessert when you are short on time. Here is one of our personal favorites from allrecipes:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of white sugar
• ½ cup of softened, unsalted butter
• ¾ cup of flour, all-purpose
• 4 cups of sliced apples (we recommend Honeycrisp!)
• ½ cup of water
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon, ground

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray or butter. 
2. Next, cream sugar and butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer; then blend in the flour. 
3. After blending thoroughly, place the apples into the prepared baking dish and top with the cinnamon. Then pour the water on top of the apples, before sprinkling the sugar-butter mixture evenly over the top, creating a nice, smooth layer. 
4. Lastly, bake until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and crispy, which is about 30 to 40 minutes. We prefer to serve this topped with vanilla ice cream!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe credit to Cookie + kate

When it starts getting colder, we always make a big pot of soup to keep us warm during the week. After all, it isn’t fall without soup! Butternut squash soup is the perfect comfort meal. Variations include adding rice or spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, cut vertically and seedless
• 1 tbsp. of olive oil, and some set aside to drizzle on
• 4 garlic cloves, either minced or pressed
• ½ cup of chopped shallot
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of maple syrup
• ⅛ tsp. of nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 to 2 tbsp. of butter 

Instructions

1. First, line your rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Next, place the butternut squash in the lined pan and drizzle each half with olive oil, rubbing the oil over the inside of the squash, before sprinkling it with salt and pepper. 
3. Then, turn the squash face down and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. 
4. Once this is done, set them aside for later (roughly ten minutes to cool). 
5. While the squash is cooling, in a large soup pot warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until shimmering and add the chopped shallot and salt. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring so the shallot softens, before adding the garlic and cooking for another minute. 
6. Then, transfer the contents to your stand blender. Now, scoop the butternut squash flesh into your blender and add nutmeg, maple syrup and more black pepper to the blender. Add in the last ingredient, 3 cups of vegetable broth and blend until fully incorporated. 
7. Lastly, add anything you think the soup needs, such as more salt or pepper, or even butter and oil! Now, pour it back into a pot and cook for a few minutes to warm it up, and top it with more cracked pepper if desired. 

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Recipe credit to bon appétit

The star of fall is, of course, pumpkin. Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable and is typically included in desserts such as pies, breads, and even lattes. We prefer pumpkin as a savory dish. Check out this pumpkin pasta, another quick and easy recipe for when you are short on time!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of rigatoni or similar pasta
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 finely chopped medium white onion
• 6 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1½ tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 15-oz. can of unsweetened pumpkin purée
• 2 oz. of finely grated parmesan, more for serving
• ½ cup of heavy cream 
• Zest of a large lemon 

Instructions

1. First, cook the rigatoni in a large pot of boil water until it is al dente. 
2. Next, drain the water, reserving 2 cups of pasta water. 
3. Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil on medium in a heavy pot. Next cook the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper for 10–12 minutes, stirring often.
4. Then, add one 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin purée and cook for about 5 minutes, before stirring in your heavy cream and pasta water. 
5. Add pasta to the sauce and cook, adding lemon zest and as much parmesan as you would like! Feel free to top with more when serving!

Fall is the perfect time to try new recipes and work with new flavors. We highly recommend trying these recipes; they will not fail to impress. Whether it’s a dinner party or simply a midweek dinner, these dishes are perfect for any occasion. Be sure to head to your local farmer’s market to get the best fall produce and try these show-stopping recipes!