Name: Stuffed Delicata Squash with Pancetta and Goat Cheese Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 small delicata squash; 2 oz pancetta; 8 oz portabella mushrooms; ½ medium yellow onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp freshly ground cracked pepper; ¼ tsp fennel seeds; ¼ cup Fresh Parsley; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 pint grape tomatoes; 4 oz chevre; For the Breadcrumb Topping:; ½ cup panko; 2 tsp oil; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; ½ tsp dried thyme; For the rice:; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ cup uncooked basmati rice; 1½ cups water; 1 tbsp butter; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp kosher salt

stuffed-delicata-squash-with-pancetta-and-goat-cheese-recipe

How To Make Stuffed Delicata Squash with Pancetta and Goat Cheese

Rice tossed with crisp pancetta and grape tomatoes make this delicious stuffed delicata squash extra filling, flavorful, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

4small delicata squash
2ozpancetta,diced small
8ozportabella mushrooms,diced
½medium yellow onion,diced
3clovesgarlic,minced
1tspdried oregano
1tspkosher salt
½tspfreshly ground cracked pepper
¼tspfennel seeds,chopped
¼cupfresh parsley,chopped and packed
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1pintgrape tomatoes,halved
4ozchevre,goat cheese

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

½cupPanko
2tspoil
½tspsalt
½tsppepper
½tspdried thyme

For the Rice:

1tbspolive oil
½cupuncooked basmati rice
1½cupswater
1tbspbutter
1bay leaf
1tspkosher salt

Instructions

Squash:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrub the outside of the squash to get rid of any dirt. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Brush the outside and inside of the squash halves with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
When it’s ready, the flesh should be easily pierced with a fork. Start checking for doneness at 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
While the squash roasts, prepare the bread crumb topping and filling.

Filling:

Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, thyme, and oil in a small bowl. Stir well with a fork to make sure everything is coated. Set aside.
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and toast, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. The rice should look golden.
Add water, butter, bay leaf, and salt to the pot. Cover, and bring to a low boil, still over medium heat for about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, but keep covered, and let it steam while making the rest of the meal.
Cook the pancetta: In a medium sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium to medium-low heat, for about 20 minutes. The goal is to render the fat.
When crispy, scoop out the pancetta and set it aside. Add it back to the filling later. There should be about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
To the pan with the rendered fat, add mushrooms, onion, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and chopped fennel seeds.
Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring once or twice until the mushrooms have shrunk and the onions are translucent.
Add the cherry tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the pan with the mushrooms. Stir to coat. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the cooked rice, cooked pancetta bits, and chopped parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper to liking. Remove from the heat.
Fill each half of squash halfway with the rice-veggie filling, using about ¼ cup in each half. Crumble the chevre and sprinkle evenly over each half.
Spoon the rest of the filling on top of the chevre. Sprinkle each half with Panko mixture.
Turn the oven to broil. Put the squash under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes until the filling is warmed through and the Panko is a deep golden brown.