Recipe of the Week

This weeks Recipe is one of my new favourites...in fact, I made it two nights in a row this week. (although the second time I made it with a few modifications)...

Baked Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine

(taken from Best of Cooking Light, April 2007)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed, peeled kabocha or butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lbs)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 (4oz) pkgs of goat cheese
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1 lb uncooked fettucine (I used kamut linguine)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I roasted and used a whole bulb of garlic)
• rosemary sprigs (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425degrees
2. Place squash and red bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and toss well. Arrange veg in a single layer on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, rosemary, and black pepper. Bake for 40 min., stirring once.
3. Place goat cheese in freezer for 10 min. Cut cheese crosswise into 8 equal rounds. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge each round in breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 min. (the second time I made this, I skipped this step and just crumbled the goat cheese over the finished pasta...this was faster and still pretty good!)
4. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pan, add reserved pasta cooking water, remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, red pepper, and garlic, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups pasta in each of 8 shallow bowls; top each serving with about 1/2 cup squash mixture and 1 goat cheese round. Garnish with rosemary springs, if desired.

Enjoy!

Wendy