This post is sponsored by ALDI, all opinions are 100% my own.
Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash, caramelized onions, mixed with salty crispy bacon, pecans, and a creamy Goat Cheese Pasta, yeah its as good as it sounds!
This weekend we had my brother and his wife over for an early Thanksgiving Dinner. Cason had been looking forward to it all week because he really wanted to “play dump trunks” with his Uncle. So much so that he decided to skip his nap that day because he was so excited.
I was looking forward to having them over because we hadn’t seen them in a while AND it gave me another chance to go to ALDI’s and test out some of their holiday products.
Let me tell you, if your looking to plan a fun holiday party then ALDI is the place to go. Great quality products for cheap!
I was able to make my Green Beans with crispy pancetta {except I subbed in bacon on this one hehe}, my brussels sprouts, a Citrus Garlic Herb Butterball Turkey that turned out super moist and juicy, and my mom’s famous sweet potato casserole.
I also bought a couple of pairing wines for dinner as well, the Zum Reisling {one of my favorites}, Burlwood Pinor Noir, a Chianti Red Wine and of course a sparkling apple cider for little man.
The food was delicious, the wine was perfect, and the company was the cherry on top. Good food and family always equals a great time!
Something else that equals a great time in my book is goat cheese.
I am kinda sorta maybe totally obsessed with the stuff. I’m from Wisconsin, the cheese capital of the world, and goat cheese is definitely in my top 3 favorite cheeses to use and eat!
Todays recipe is more savory than sweet but it does have one of my favorite fall vegetables in it.. Butternut Squash and thats kinda sweet! I was just thinking I haven’t made any recipes this fall with Butternut Squash in it.. which is completely absurd to me.
So I figured it was time, enter this Butternut Squash Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta.
Guys… I first found this recipe when I was watchingGiada De Laurentiison the FoodNetwork,who I am completely in love with. I’m pretty sure she is a culinary genius. If we ever go back to Vegas I am so going to her new restaurant, Giada.
Anywho, as I was watching her show and she made this Butternut Squash Pasta, it had roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions and goat cheese in it. That was all I needed to hear… I was out the door getting the goods to make it that night.
Since my first time making this I have changed up the recipe a bitto fit our liking. I add more goat cheeseto minebecause who doesn’t need more cheese plus the pasta tends to dry out fast so adding more cheese makes it moist longer. 🙂
I added bacon … oh yeah baby! Some pecans for crunch and then dry sage .. because sage is like the ultimate fall spice!
Absolutely delicious! This is hands down my favorite fall comfort food, just add in a bottle of Pinor Noir and it will bring you to your happy place. At least it does me .. now all I need are some corny Hallmark Christmas Movies and it would be the best night ever!
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Roasted Butternut Squash Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 6 reviews
Author:Krista
Prep Time:10 mins
Cook Time:50 mins
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:6-8 servings 1x
Category:Lunch, Dinner
Method:Baked
Cuisine:Italian
Print Recipe
Description
A comforting pasta dish full of sweet roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, salty crispy bacon, crunchy pecans, and a creamy goat cheese pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
3–4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4” cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1/2” cubes
3–4 tablespoons of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup of Diamond Nut pecan pieces
1 lb of mezzi rigatoni {or penne pasta}
10 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon of dry sage
5 strips of bacon, diced and cooked to crispy
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup of reserved pasta water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Spread out butternut squash and red onion on a baking sheet. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper. Toss to coat and spread out on baking sheet so it is in a single layer.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
In the meantime, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. {about 4-5 minutes}
Remove bacon from the pan and place on a plate lining with paper towel to soak up some of the grease.
Bring a large pot of water to boiling, add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente {follow directions on the back of the box, usually 8-10 minutes}
Once pasta is done, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the rest of the water.
Add butternut squash, onions, pecans, bacon, goat cheese, cooking water, and sage to pasta pot. Toss to coat everything, season with salt & pepper to taste.
It's important to note that while many people choose to remove butternut squash skin (and this is best practice for soup making, where you want smooth results), you can 100% eat roasted butternut squash skin. Slice butternut squash into crescents and roast it with the skin on.
Method. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Wash and dry the whole squash, then place on a baking tray. Pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and very soft.
Then wash winter squash before preparing and eating. Try these 7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables or these steps for washing winter squash: rinse with plain running water while scrubbing the outside with a clean brush, then dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Ditch the struggle. Learn how to roast butternut squash the EASY WAY without any prep work. No pre-peeling, chopping or deseeding (yes really!). Just whole-roast it in the oven until soft and tender.
When is butternut squash in season? Butternut squash are harvested in late summer and autumn, but because they keep so well, they can be found all year round.
Butternut squash is a plant food packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As a result, it may help prevent against chronic disease. So, consuming butternut squash and other nutrient-dense foods is a great way to manage chronic disease risk.
In conclusion, butternut squash is not only a tasty and versatile vegetable, but it is also an excellent choice for individuals with IBS. Its ease of digestibility, nutritional value, and potential to manage IBS symptoms make it a fantastic addition to any IBS-friendly diet.
In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.
Butternut squash contains considerable amounts of fiber, which can help you keep a healthy weight and regulate bowel movements. It's known to help prevent colorectal cancer while the beta-carotene in butternut squash can also improve eye health.
When taken by mouth: Butternut is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people, but it can cause diarrhea and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's LIKELY UNSAFE to use butternut in large amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It might stimulate the bowels too much.
Halve butternut squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place cut sides up in a roasting pan (to help it sit level, slice a thin strip from skin sides). Fill each cavity with butter and pure maple syrup; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Roast until fork-tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
You can either roast butternut squash in its skin, halved, or cut into wedges. It can be served stuffed as a stunning main, as a simple side dish, stirred into risottos, pasta or salads, or blitzed into a soup. By peeling and dicing, the cubes of squash will become more caramelised, with plenty of texture.
Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.
Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.
Sure, you know about the delicious orange flesh of winter squash—but the skin? In case you didn't know, all winter squash skins are edible, and full of fiber and vitamin A to boot. Whether or not you should eat the skins of every type of winter squash is its own question.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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