Linguine with Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese

Finally, nearly a month after Shannon, Ernie, Gaby, Geoff, and I went to the pumpkin patch, where I promised to post this recipe! This one's for you, Shannon, and all you squash lovers out there in the ether....

Linguine with Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese
(Real Simple magazine)

6 slices bacon
1 2- to 2-1/2 pound butternut squash -- peeled, seeded, and diced*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I just used regular, and it turned out ok)
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 1-lb package linguine, cooked
1 T olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel, then crumble or break into pieces; set aside.**

Drain all but about 2 T of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the squash and garlic to the skillet and saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the broth and the salt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is cooked through and softened, about 20-25 minutes.

Add half the goat cheese and stir well to combine. Place the cooked linguine in a large bowl. Stir the sauce into the linguine and toss well to coat. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the reserved bacon, the remaining goat cheese, and the pepper. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings.


* Tip: Before cutting it open, stabilize your oddly-shaped squash by cutting a small slice of skin off one side so it will lie flat. Then slice it in half with a sharp chef's knife. (I can't overstate the importance of a good knife for this process.) From that point, for me, it's easiest to slice it into smaller pieces in order to remove the skin. In other words, I halve, slice, remove skin, then dice...rather than halve, remove skin, and dice.

** Or, take a shortcut and buy already cooked bacon at the grocery. Then use butter as the fat for cooking the squash.

Comments

Anonymous said…
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Alissa said…
Dicing a butternut squash is one of my least favorite activities. You can buy them pre-cut at Trader Joe's, and probably most grocery stores. For me, it's worth the little bit of extra money it might cost.
Unknown said…
Is it in the freezer section?
Becky said…
I had no idea that pre-cut butternut squash was even an option! Where are they hiding it???
Alissa said…
Oh, they usually have them in the regular produce section. They're usually in a plastic container that is shrink-wrapped. At Trader Joe's they're in with the bags of salads and pre-cut, pre-washed veggies. It's great, and I really don't think it costs much more than a regular squash. (I think at Trader Joe's a package is around $2.50? It's probably more in the regular grocery store).
Unknown said…
$2.50 is super cheap considering how much a whole butternut squash can cost in the grocery store. I'm going to Trader Joes this weekend to look for some...do they sell it year round?
Alissa said…
Um... I'm not sure. I think I've only bought it in the last couple of months, but I don't remember if they had it before that or not.
Unknown said…
I'm going to check it out tomorrow, I think, and see if I can find some already cut up butternut. I hate to dice winter squash.

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