Bacon, Roast Squash & Goat Cheese Pasta
PIN IT!Bacon makes everything better.
Is there a more true statement than that? I’ll argue NOT. As you know, bacon is one of my favorite meat products (I’m sorry Babe, you just taste too damn good) and I just can’t stop loving it. I know it’s not THAT healthy but I’m all about moderation. I’m the “realistic” nutritionist after all 🙂 And guess what?
So I’m not giving it up. Although I could eat a pound of bacon for dinner and be the happiest little grease monkey around, I decided to, instead, mix it with my other sweet loves; goat cheese and butternut squash. I could, easily, eat these in glutton for the rest of my life and die (at 30) quite happy. However, I treat bacon and goat cheese as a speciality, as a treat, something to reward myself with. Reason #1: I’m portly enough. Reason #2: I’m broke. After my rough days last week, I decided to make something special on Sunday, something that would be a great kick off to a BRAND NEW week. So, I bought goat cheese and I bought bacon (and a vat of wine, obviously) and whipped up a delicious dinner.
A goat cheese, butternut squash and bacon pasta served with a dash of basil and extra virgin olive oil. Easy, simple but still really flavorful. Plus, it tastes EVEN BETTER the next day. I’m serious. I had it for lunch and nearly had a foodgasm at work. I know, totes appropriate.
Whether you are having a rough day, rough week or just have a strong hankerin’ for bacon, this dish is perfect for you! Because, as y’all know, bacon makes EVERYTHING better.
Bacon, Squash & Goat Cheese Pasta
Yield: 4 1 cup servings
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 15 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- 5-7 slices of bacon
- 4 cups of chopped butternut squash
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 5 ounces of fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 package of whole wheat linguine
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon of basil as garnish
How to Make it:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a large butternut squash into fourths and place into a deep baking dish. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over squash. Liberally coat in salt, pepper and basil. Roast for about 40 minutes or until squash is softened. Put aside to cool.
- In a large pot, heat 5 cups of water to a boil with salt. Add pasta and cook until ad-dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Chop bacon into bite size pieces. Place bacon in a medium pan and cook for abot 3 minutes, or until the bacon starts to crisp up. Drain out about 1/2 the grease and put back on heat.
- Add in choppd onions and garlic. Cook on medium heat until onions and garlic are carmelized and bacon is crispy. Add in chopped squash, salt and pepper and more basil. Take off heat.
- Crumble goat cheese over the squash mixture and serve over noodles. Add more basil as garnish.
And enjoy every single bacon filled, goat cheese laden delicious forkful. Because you only live once, might as well enjoy it. (and eat bacon).
Nutritional information per cup: 385 calories, 9 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Claire
Tags:butternut squash, dinner, easy, Eat Skinny Be Skinny, fall dinner, fall pasta, fall recipes, harvest, low fat recipes, recipes, skinny girl, yummy food
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