Butternut Squash With Bacon And Garlic Food

OVEN ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 5 slices of bacon according to the instructions here for about 20 minutes. Reserve the rendered bacon fat in a glass jar, and wipe any excess grease off the baking sheet with a paper towel. Chop the cooked bacon and set aside.
• While the bacon is baking, peel and cube a medium butternut squash. Toss the cubes with 2-3 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat, salt, and pepper. Spread the cubed squash out on the baking sheet used previously, leaving ample room between each piece to allow the squash to caramelize. Use a second baking sheet if necessary.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and roast for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender and starting to caramelize.
• Stir in the chopped bacon and fresh thyme, and then place the baking sheet(s) back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
• Season with additional salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, as desired. Serve warm.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AGNOLOTTI WITH BACON AND AGED BALSAMIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the pasta dough: Put the flour in a pile on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole about 8-inches wide in the center of the flour pile. Crack all the eggs into the hole and add the olive oil and salt. With a fork beat the eggs and slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. Do not worry about the lumps.
• When most of the flour is incorporated, begin kneading the dough mixture with your hands. Knead the dough until it is smooth and supple, about 10 to15 minutes. It is really important to put your whole body into kneading otherwise the pasta will not develop the proper consistency. You need to knead! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it relax for at least 1 hour. If using immediately do not refrigerate.
• While the dough is resting, make the filling: Put the butternut squash onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and add the cinnamon and a big pinch of salt. Mix it all together to coat the squash and arrange it in 1 layer on the baking sheet. Roast until the squash is soft and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and put it into the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, and the eggs and process until smooth. Taste and add salt, if needed. Scrape the filling into a pastry bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Roll the pasta: Set the pasta roller on the widest setting. Start with half the pasta dough. Using your hands, flatten the dough as much as you can to facilitate it going through the pasta roller. Run the dough through the roller twice dusting it with flour in between rolls if it feels sticky. Fold it into thirds turn it 90 degrees and run it through the pasta machine 2 to 3 times. Continue to run the pasta through the machine reducing the setting between each run. Stop when you get to the second to last setting. Always hold the pasta on the tops of your hands, palms down! If you hold it with your fingers up you will create stretch marks and those are never good.
• To assemble the agnolotti: Lay the pasta sheet on a floured work surface. Brush the lower half of the pasta (the part that is closest to you) lightly with water. This is the "glue" that will hold the agnolotti together. Use the water sparingly, if you use too much it will slide and not stick. Pipe 1-inch balls of filling onto the pasta that has been brushed with water, leaving about 2-inches between each ball. Fold the top half of the pasta over the balls to meet the bottom edge. Using your 2 index fingers poke around each filling ball to seal the agnolotti shut and make sure there are no air bubbles. Cut out each agnolotti using a small round fluted cutter. Transfer to a sheet tray coated with semolina or polenta. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
• To make the sauce: Put a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add it along with the garlic to the pan. When the garlic is lightly browned and aromatic remove it from the pan and discard it. When the bacon is crispy add the squash, season with salt, to taste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter, chicken stock, and sage, and cook until the sauce thickens and looks velvety. Stir in the apple and taste for seasoning.
• Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the agnolotti and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the pasta from the water and immediately put it into the pan with the sauce. Bring it to a boil, shaking the pan frequently. Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the Parmesan, and swirl the pasta until it's coated with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately, sprinkled with a little more grated Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Mangia bene!!

BUTTERNUT, BACON AND APPLE HOTDISH

Steps:

• For the filling: Lay the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet (I like to use a cast-iron pan or braiser) and turn the heat to medium. Cook, flipping once, until crisp on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove from the heat and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
• Drain half the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the skillet. Add the onions and turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, thyme, some salt, a few turns of pepper and a few pinches of crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 more minutes. Add the wine and broth. Roughly chop the bacon and add it to the skillet along with the apples. Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, while you make the biscuits.
• For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and, using a food processor, pastry cutter or your hands, incorporate the butter until the mixture is the consistency of raw oatmeal. Mix in the cream until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, pat it out to 3/4-inch thick and then cut out round biscuits, re-rolling scraps as needed.
• Turn off the heat before dotting the top of the skillet with the biscuits. Brush the biscuits with the beaten egg and top with black pepper. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, cooked through and flaky, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve right from the skillet!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BACON ONE-POT PASTA

Steps:

• Using a fork, poke a few holes in skin of squash. Place the entire squash in the microwave and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Remove squash using a towel or oven mitts and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place squash on cutting board and hold warm squash with an oven mitt (or latex dishwashing glove) and slice squash in half; scoop out seeds.
• Place one squash half face down on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high-power, 3 to 5 minutes. Reserve second squash half for another use.
• Scoop cooked squash flesh out of shell and place in a blender or food processor and blend with about 3 tablespoons water until smooth; set aside. Makes about 11/2 cups puree.
• In a large pot, cook penne according to directions on the regular pasta box (as it takes a little longer to cook than whole grain pasta). Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water.
• In the same large pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until browned. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving bacon fat (about 1 tablespoon) in the pot.
• Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the bacon fat. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in reserved squash puree; cook until warm, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese, thyme, salt, pepper and 1 to 2 tablespoons pasta water if sauce seems too thick. Add pasta and reserved bacon and toss gently. Serve with additional shredded cheese if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH BACON AND CHEDDAR

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan with a lid, melt butter and cook onion over low low heat until translucent and sweet. About 30 minutes.
• Add chopped bacon, butternut squash and stock.
• Cook 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
• Add sage and salt and pepper to taste.
• Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.
• Add cream, sour cream and cheese and heat through, stirring to melt cheese.
• Serve with toasted bread croutons, or crostini.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PENNE WITH CHICKEN, BACON AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 pan liberally with non-stick spray. Start a pot of 5 qt water with liberal salt for the penne.
• Cook bacon until crisp over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Drain bacon over paper towels and reserve 3 TBSP fat in pan.
• Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Cook chicken breast pieces in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. Reserve chicken and tent with foil.
• Add enough olive oil to coat pan; add squash, salt, pepper and sage. Cover pan and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until squash is semi-soft. Add onion and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, and spinach to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted, 3-4 minutes.
• Do not cook your penne until al dente; it will continue to cook in the oven. Only cook for about 7 minutes.
• In a seperate saucepan cook flour over medium heat, gradually adding milk and whisking continuously until boiling. Boil for two minutes or until thickened; remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until melted.
• Add flour/milk/cheese mixture to pasta; add pasta to squash mixture. Stir in the cooked chicken and crumbled bacon. Add more milk if mixture is too thick. Spread mixture into 13x9 pan; sprinkle more cheese on top if desired. Cook in oven 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbling. Let cool for 10-15 minutes; serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLE AND BACON

Steps:

• In a 5 qt or larger stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Increase the heat to medium high. Add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes (resist the urge to stir too often or it won't brown).
• Stir in the apple, sage, salt and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes (you'll see more browning occur on the bottom of the pot than on the vegetables).
• Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat & let cool somewhat.
• Add about half the bacon to the soup and puree, using a stand or immersion blender (you'll need to work in batches if using a stand blender).
• Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH BACON AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
• Add the butternut squash to a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top and season with red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then spread the squash into an even layer and bake for 15 minutes.
• While the butternut squash bakes, in a small bowl, toss the red onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• After the squash has cooked for 15 minutes, give it a stir and push it to one side of the baking sheet to make room for the onion and bacon, trying to keep the squash in one layer. Add the red onion to the pan, then lay the strips of bacon in a single layer next to the onion.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 30 minutes and cook, stirring the squash and onion after about 15 minute. The bacon should be crisp and the vegetables cooked through and beginning to caramelize at the edges. (They don't have to be super golden brown, but a little color is nice.)
• Just before the vegetables and bacon are done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot to keep warm if necessary.
• When the vegetables are tender and the bacon crispy, take the baking sheet out of the oven and carefully transfer the bacon to a cutting board. Coarsely chop the bacon.
• Add the butternut squash, onions and any bacon fat to the pot with the pasta. Add about 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup pasta water to the pot and stir everything until well combined. You want the squash to break down a bit and coat the pasta; add more pasta water as necessary to coat the pasta with the squash and cheese.
• Stir in half the chopped bacon, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the pasta among bowls or plates. Top with chives, parsley, black pepper and the remaining Parmesan and bacon. Serve immediately.