Saturday, February 18, 2012

Roasted Butternut Squash Fettuccine + Goat + Thyme

This unassuming little pasta dish packs quite a flavorful punch. The roasted garlic and minced olives hiding in the dressing add a depth of flavor that goes very well with the sweetness of the roasted squash. All I can say is that this is one of my favorite plates of pasta. It's a keeper.

The fun of pasta is that it is a blank canvas that calls for you to paint with many flavors. Mix whatever vegetable is fresh and in-season with some garlic and olive oil, and there you have it, a new pasta recipe. The possibilities are truly endless. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Fettuccine + Goat Feta + Thyme

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 1/3 cups, peeled, seeded, diced)
6 cloves garlic
olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
10 kalamata olives (minced)
1 large shallot (diced)
1 large tomato (about 1 1/2 cups, diced)
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 sprigs of thyme (stems removed, plus more for garnish)
3/4 pound fettuccine
4 ounces feta (crumbled) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss diced butternut squash and whole cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil, spread out on a rimmed baking sheet, and then season with salt and pepper. Place baking sheet into preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the squash begin to caramelize.

In a large bowl, mix the olives, shallot, tomato, sugar, vinegar, parsley, thyme, a pinch of salt, some black pepper, and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool. Smash the roasted garlic hard with the side of your knife and stir the paste into your dressing. Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss pasta and butternut squash with the dressing. To serve, use tongs to transfer pasta to plate and garnish with crumbled goat feta and thyme leaves.

6 comments:

  1. Awesome. I have very little on how to approach the squash cutting. I usually peel it with a serrated peeler, cut it in half, and pull the seeds out. At that poit you are left with usable squash that you can dice up. Let me know how you do it.

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  2. Hey. I couldn't find champagne vinegar at the midtown Kroger. Can I use something else instead, or is this a necessary ingredient? If so, where should I go?
    Yes, that's how I cut my squash, too.
    I'll report back with results on Sunday.

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  3. White balsamic would work. or white wine vinegar.They carry champagne vinegar at whole foods. It's mild and fruity but punchy. Worth seeking out, I think. But if you an't find it don't sweat it.

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  4. I didn't have any problems with this one at all. I used white balsamic and it worked just fine. My only critique is that I was feeding four people and I was worried that there wouldn't be enough pasta, so I cooked the whole pound box of fettuccine just in case. We ended up using all of the pasta, and I felt like the pasta/veggie ratio was good. We even had some left over. I'd maybe suggest increasing the amount of pasta to 12 ounces rather than 8 to feed four people well.

    I'll be at the Farmer Mixer on Thursday. I'm excited!

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  5. Thank you! I increased the pasta ratio. I'm so happy you are coming to the mixer. It should be fun. We've got just a short time to bring it all together.

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