Slow-Cooked Squash with Pesto and Cannellini Beans

I've had a recent return to my slow cooker. A coming home, if you will. When I moved into my first home, my mother bestowed upon me not one, but three full-sized slow cookers, evidence of my family's full appreciation for the vast possibilities of slow-simmering everything from chili (naturally) to lasagna (unlikely, perhaps, but totally possible). Years before the first home and the three slow cookers, in the 10X12 space of my sophomore-year college dorm room my friends and I still gathered around the comforting warmth of a homemade meal, thanks to our thoroughly non-compliant with college policy slow cooker.

Today, with the blessings of a well-equipped kitchen and a multitude of cooking options before us, the slow cooker still frequently travels to a central location on the counter-top, especially now that my traffic-laden commute pulls me from home at 6:30AM each morning and shuttles me through the front door at 7:30PM each night, leaving little time for the leisure of more time-consuming weeknight dishes. There's nothing I find more relaxing than several contented hours in the kitchen, but sometimes it is nice to arrive home and find the cooking already accomplished.

Thus, at 11PM on Monday night, I resisted the initial temptation to seek sleep immediately, for I had a beautiful farmers' market squash to prepare! I drifted briefly towards an image of maple syrup and cinnamon, but, as Zach prefers savory rather than sweet squash dishes, pesto, tomatoes, and cannellini beans joined the squash in the slow cooker. As though by magic, the ensemble sat patiently in the refrigerator overnight, started heating cheerily the next morning as I sleepily plugged in the slow cooker, and greeted Zach and I in the evening with the heavenly scents of vegetables and Parmesan...

Ah, the wonders of coming home.

Slow-Cooked Squash with Pesto and Cannellini Beans

*This recipe serves 2 as a main dish - feel free to multiply the recipe as needed!*

1 medium-sized winter squash, sliced in half, with seeds scooped out
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 T pesto
1 (14.5 oz) can cannellini beans
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked brown rice
4 T shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

~ Place the two squash halves, cut side up, in the slow cooker, and rub each half with 1 tsp olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
~ Fill each squash hollow with 1 T pesto.
~ Scatter the onion on and around the squash.
~ Pour the cannellini beans into the squash hollows.
~ Pour the tomatoes and the vegetable broth around the squash.
~ Turn the slow cooker on low, and cook for 8 hours.
~ To serve, place each squash half on a bed of rice, and ladle the tomato and onion sauce over the squash. Scatter the mozzarella cheese on top, and serve warm!