Monday, September 14, 2020

Creamy Squash Fettuccine with Caramelized Onion and Pancetta

Good news: yes, this is as luscious as it looks.

And yes, you can make use of your squash that you either grew in your garden (shout out to you!) or bought from someone else who grew it because you were busy doing other things (it me).

This recipe is a cozy date-night-at-home dream for the fall, or the winter, or the ANYTIME.

The silky sauce, the caramelized onion, the fork-twirled noodles, topped with the crispy pancetta and delicate little flakes of salty parmesan and fried sage leaves… all of it just makes you want to wrap up in a blanket and burrow into a pasta cave and come out sometime never.

I mostly like this recipe for a fancy date night, but I have to tell you, the little two-year-old who tags along on most of our food experiences was VERY, VERY excited about this “pastha” and helped me remember that this can really serve almost any situation:

  • Treat yoself dinner for one
  • Romantic dinner for two
  • Awesome dinner for the family just because you’re that great

The sage leaves are optional, but please, for all that’s delicious: the heavenly squash-and-cream sauce, the fried bits of pancetta, and the deeply golden caramelized onions are essential.

To pasta love.

Common Questions About This Yummy Squash Fettuccine

Do I need a whole butternut squash for this recipe?

In my experience, 1 butternut squash yields about 3 cups of cubed, peeled squash. This means you’ll need about half of a butternut squash for this recipe.

What do you do with the rest of the squash?

You have options! You could freeze it for later, add it to a soup, roast it up for a salad, or use it in a curry.

How can I make this vegan?

Skip the cream and the pancetta! Or, if you want it to be creamier, use your favorite non-dairy heavy cream sub. You could also give this recipe a try as an alternative!

Can I use dried thyme instead?

Yep! You could use about a teaspoon of dried thyme in place of the fresh.

I drew on a few sources of inspiration for this magical recipe, including this one (not vegan) and this one (vegan) and this squash sauce pasta of years past.

Creamy Squash Fettuccine with Caramelized Onion and Pancetta

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4
Print Recipe

Description

Creamy Squash Fettuccine! Silky creamy sauce, caramelized onion, fork-twirled noodles, topped with the crispy pancetta and delicate little flakes of salty parmesan and fried sage leaves.

Ingredients

Squash Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (see notes)
  • swish of olive oil + sprinkle of salt
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (honestly, it’s delicious with or without the cream – your choice)

Other Yums:

  • 2–3 ounces pancetta, cut into small pieces
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • a few sage leaves (optional)

Pasta:

  • 8 ounces fettuccine or pappardelle (half a box)
  • freshly grated parmesan for topping

Instructions

  1. Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange squash on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and a little salt. Add thyme sprigs. Roast for 20-30 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  2. Fry the pancetta: Meanwhile, fry pancetta bits in a skillet until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease.
  3. Caramelize the onion: Turn the heat down and let the pan cool for a moment. Add the onion to the pancetta grease. Sauté for 20-30 minutes (while you’re waiting for the squash to roast) until soft, fragrant, and caramel-colored. (Optional: after you remove the onions, fry the sage right in the same pan.)
  4. Cook the pasta: While you wait on the onions and squash, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  5. Blend the squash sauce: Transfer squash to a blender (removing thyme sprigs). Puree the squash with the broth, garlic, and salt until smooth.
  6. Almost there: Place your cooked pasta in your onion pan over medium low heat. Pour squash sauce over pasta. Toss gently with cream and about half of the onions. It should be looking real good right now.
  7. Serve it up all fancy: Plate up the pasta. Top with caramelized onions, pancetta, sage, and fresh Parmesan. Are you at a restaurant? YOU ARE TOTALLY AT A RESTAURANT. Mwah!

Equipment

Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

Squash: In my experience, 1 butternut squash yields about 3 cups of cubed, peeled squash. This means you’ll need about half of a butternut squash for this recipe. I usually just go ahead and roast the entire squash, reserving the 1 1/2 cups for this recipe and saving the other half of roasted squash for easy and kid-friendly meal prep! I like to throw it in salads, soups and stews, curries, etc.

  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: squash pasta, fall pasta recipe, fettuccine recipe, squash pasta sauce

Recipe Card powered by

The post Creamy Squash Fettuccine with Caramelized Onion and Pancetta appeared first on Pinch of Yum.



from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/2FySnPw
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Chipotle Quinoa Burgers

Quinoa burger on bun with toppings.

Let me just intro this by saying: I love this recipe.

I love all our recipes, but this is one that just fits perfectly into my real life, again, and again, and again.

Veggie burgers can be hit or miss, I know. I’m not a fan of bean-heavy burgers, so please hear me right off the bat: I am not going to over-bean you with this quinoa burger.

Instead, I’m going to give you a stupidly easy burger that is heavy and solid but not too dense (seriously, pinky promise, the beans are under control!), crispy but not crumbly, and nicely meaty-looking… with all of the smoky good flavor, all of the yumminess, and none of the meat.

How These Quinoa Burgers Come Together

We are working with primarily three things:

  • Quinoa – the star
  • Black beans – just enough to help it hold
  • Savory, smoky chipotle flavor – the thing that keeps you coming back for more.

Once you add something crunchy / binding (like panko or oats), and something wet / binding (egg or flax egg), and a few pinches of spices, you are certifiably in chipotle quinoa burger business.

These quinoa burgs can be made in minutes with just five-ish ingredients, and honestly, considering the minimal effort plus the excellent, versatile, and healthyish results, it’s a real weeknight unicorn.

Ingredients for quinoa burgers.

All The Toppings, Of Course

Toppings – I mean, toppings are your business. They are pretty much limitless and you can be as wild and free as you want here.

But my favorite toppings, personally, are smashed avocado, spicy mayo, thick slices of tomato, crunchy lettuce, and a crown of pickled red onion.

Pop it on a brioche bun and you have juicy, saucy, crispy quinoa burger perfection. Yay meatless!

Quinoa burger in hands cut in half.

Common Questions About These Quinoa Burgers

Can you freeze these burgers?

Yes, the burgers can be frozen after cooking. If reheating from frozen, here are three different methods:

OVEN: 350 degrees for 15 minutes
MICROWAVE: 1.5 minutes
STOVETOP: 6-7 minutes, flip halfway through (you may need to add a bit of water to the pan and cover to heat them all the way through).

Can you make these burgers gluten-free?

Yes! Oats work well as a panko substitute.

Can you make these burgers vegan?

Yes, the flax egg worked well as a regular egg substitute.

Chipotle Quinoa Burgers

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
Print Recipe

Description

Chipotle Quinoa Burgers – veggie burgers you’ll want to make again and again! Filling but not too dense, crispy but not crumbly, and with all the smokiness and yumminess with none of the meat.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1–2 chipotle peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Quinoa: Cook quinoa according to package directions. Allow to cool.
  2. Mix: Place black beans, quinoa, chipotles, and spices, in a food processor. Pulse just a few times, enough to make the mixture sticky and well-mixed but not completely pureed. Ideally there will be some chunks of black beans still intact.
  3. Add egg and panko: Transfer mixture to a bowl. Using a spoon or your hands, mix with egg and panko. Form into 4 thick burgers. 
  4. Fry burgers: Heat a generous swish of olive oil over medium high heat (nonstick pan works best here). Add burgers to the pan and fry for a few minutes on each side, flipping carefully to keep them intact, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.
  5. Serve: Serve on buns with spicy mayo, avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, whatever suits your fancy! 

Equipment

Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: quinoa burgers, chipotle burgers, vegetarian burgers, healthy burger

Recipe Card powered by

The post Chipotle Quinoa Burgers appeared first on Pinch of Yum.



from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/3k1DWm2
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli cheese soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Hello and welcome to your fall life.

I would like to campaign for you to enter into fall soup season with this cozy classic. It is a hug-in-a-bowl that is not only *easy to make* but honestly puts Panera’s version to shame. Ooooh yes, I said it! Listen, I truly love Panera, but side-by-side with this comforting pot of creaminess gently bubbling away on the stove, with the FRESH broccoli and carrots, and the glorious cheddar cheese that you ate straight off the cutting board shredded by hand, there is no comparing.

Broccoli cheese soup, in case you needed reminding, is going to bring several good things into your life: a delicate start of butter and garlic and onions, a silky-smooth soup base, little bite-sized bits of just-right broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, and a sharp, creamy finish from that cheddar cheese. It’s flavorful, it’s veg-loaded and fresh, but it’s also extremely comforting, unassuming, and mellow. And I think we could all use a little more mellow right about now, yes?

There’s salt, there’s pepper, and there’s paprika to season, but hello VERY IMPORTANT there’s also hot crusty bread for dipping.

Broccoli cheese soup ingredients in a dutch oven.

If this soup isn’t the dictionary definition of fall cozy…

Well, there’s not even anything to say because it is. It just really is.

Broccoli cheese soup in a bowl with bread dipped in.

More Cozy Soups to Love

Common Questions About This Broccoli Cheese Soup

Can I use just one type of milk?

You should be able to use all milk or all half and half rather than 1 cup of each if you only have one of the two. Averie’s recipe suggests fat free half and half as the creamy thickener, and I know several people who swear by that for other soups as well, but that’s not an ingredient I usually keep in my fridge. I wanted to make a version with what I almost always have in my fridge (which is whole milk, and half and half) and it worked beautifully!

Does this work with frozen broccoli?

Yes! If you’d like to wait a bit to put the frozen broccoli in (maybe five minutes after the carrots), that might make things a little less mushy.

Can you freeze this soup?

We froze a batch and reheated in both the microwave and on the stovetop. Both reheating methods work well! Just give the soup a good stir before serving.

This recipe was inspired by some intense Google searching to find the very best method of making broccoli cheese soup – and the Averie Cooks recipe was the clear winner of the internet, so that is what largely inspired this recipe! The only changes I made were using two different types of full-fat dairy because that’s what I normally keep stocked, and a slight tweak of the seasoning.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings
Print Recipe

Description

This Broccoli Cheese Soup is easy, creamy, and a perfect cozy classic. A silky-smooth soup base, little bites of just-right broccoli and carrots, and some sharp creamy cheddar cheese to finish it off.

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup broccoli stems, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2–3 cups broccoli florets, chopped into very small pieces
  • 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • an 8-ounce block of good quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Sauté garlic and onion: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and broccoli stems; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  2. Build your roux: Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the soup pot. When butter is melted, add flour to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until flour is thickened. Slowly pour in the milk and half and half, whisking constantly. (It will start thick but eventually it will thin out and resemble a creamy soup base.) Continue to thin it out, gradually whisking in the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, whisking occasionally to reincorporate the skin that may form.
  3. Add broccoli: When the soup base is thickened nicely, stir in the broccoli, carrots, and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the broccoli bits are bright green and fork-tender.
  4. Add cheese: Transfer the pot off of heat and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes. Stir in most of the cheese until melted. Serve in bowls with a little extra cheese + a hunk of crusty bread for dunking – and yes, it’s okay to cry tears of cozy joy! This is a happy moment!

Equipment

Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: broccoli cheese soup, broccoli cheddar soup, soup season, broccoli cheddar, Panera broccoli cheese soup

Recipe Card powered by

The post Broccoli Cheese Soup appeared first on Pinch of Yum.



from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/2DENG6h
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Thursday, September 3, 2020

September Coffee Date

Well, hi.

It’s September, but it’s EARLY September, so a picture of the last few ripe days of summer is what’s gonna be happening right now.

Okay, buckle up and grab a drink! Is it a cozy PSL keeping your warm on your couch? Is it a cold agua fresca to cool you down while you soak up the sun? Could be either! Depends on the day! Because it’s that magical time of year known as September.

Firstly, I think it’s worth acknowledging that I have fallen out of rhythm with these posts this summer. I love these posts so much. Let me explain the drought.

I did a series of posts in March, April, and May called the Quarantine Reports – basically a documentation of what time at home was looking like for us during the stay at home order. Oh my gosh. Remember the emotional train wreck that was quarantine? LOL.

And after the stay at home order ended, and people started emerging from their homes again, and life semi-returned to a tiny fraction of normal, I had planned to do a few coffee date posts but then, well, there was this one big thing that I was struggling with talking around:

Baby on Board

There was, and is, a baby on board over here!

And that’s one reason why it’s been hard to talk like a normal person in both the quarantine reports and in the coffee date post. It was a really, really rough time during the first trimester, for so many reasons including the nausea that was overtaking my life, and that was the thing that I was trying to say without saying in a lot of those quarantine reports.

I had planned to make this baby girl public via coffee date post sometime in May/June, but wow. The cycle of bad, hard, horrifying, heartbreaking news has been kind of nonstop both here in Minneapolis and worldwide for the last few months, hasn’t it? Not to mention social media and the internet in general being just kind of a dumpster fire of hurt, tension, and hatred. Other things in our world and in our online communities have been more pressing. There never felt like a right time to celebrate.

But now is the right time, I think, and it sort of has to be, because she’s going be here in October!

We are so excited to welcome another little girl to our family. ♡

Being Outside is Everything

This summer has been the summer of the DECK LIFE.

It’s one of the few places we feel comfortable being with people, hanging out socially, and not needing to SUPER worry about Covid thanks to the top-notch filtration system of the great outdoors.

This summer we replaced our two-person patio table with a party-size table and chairs for the deck – perfect for holding mountains of tacos, chips, and jugs of agua fresca and seating our friends.

And this fall we added to the deck collection: a fire table! and a projector! for outdoor movies and s’mores!

Listen, if we aren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, we are definitely putting all our eggs into the deck life basket.

Anyone else living it up in the outdoor spaces this summer / fall? Anyone else afraid for what their social life (or lack of social life) will look like come winter? 

Vacation

Okay, I just said we weren’t going anywhere but we DID recently take a little drive down the Great River Road to Lake Pepin where we stayed in an adorable Airbnb for a few days right on the lake. River? Lake. It’s kind of both. 

We had only been to Lake Pepin one other time (way back here) and this time, being right on the water, truly felt like we might just be in the Caribbean even though we were only about an hour from home. 

I read three books in three days (toddler-free life is just so very… open) and we had lots of pie, cheese and crackers, olives, root beer, you know, the things of summer and pregnancy. 

Have you been able to getaway this summer? Anyone else feeling restless and wanting hop a plane for some adventuring?

Home Sweet Home

In what will either go down as a great idea or a terrible disaster, we’ve decided to do a few home projects in the last few weeks before baby. 

The thinking here: because of both Covid and having a newborn, we are going to be at home essentially for the next 6 months straight. There are no upcoming trips for us, there are no outings, this is a very home-centric time in our lives. So let’s make those updates we’ve been talking about so we can feel like this is a place that makes us really happy and cozy until we start to re-emerge, right? 

Right? 

We are hiring everything out because we know ourselves and we know that what we can do right now is Toddler Life and Food / Technology Life. There is zero DIY skill here, so we’re leaving it to other people to help us make this happen.

And *mostly* what is happening is paint. Kitchen, living area, fireplace, laundry room, etc. There will be a new backsplash. There will be an office makeover. There will be wallpaper in the bathroom. There will be a closet refresh to include some built-in storage which will magically make us super organized, right? There will be a few nice new things and a few key pieces of Craigslist furniture and none of this will be stressful. Thanks, bye.

Just Where Things Are At

This post sums up how I’ve felt about showing up in online spaces lately. It can be hard to get it just right. There will always be mistakes made, things misunderstood, or things disagreed upon because we are human. Brené Brown talks about not showing up to be right, but showing up to get it right. And I really feel that and appreciate that. And also, more and more, I feel like social media and the internet and my habits with both doesn’t always feel healthy. I feel the desire or maybe the need to pull back. To focus on what’s real and what’s right here.

I love doing this. I love doing this with you. I love making recipes, sharing them, and co-creating little moments of delicious joy with you in our very real, very precious lives.

I also feel tender and overwhelmed, by the internet and the news and the State Of Things.

I feel protective of my baby who is actually a big girl now. I feel a deep desire to be with her, working through our real life stuff, while we wait for cookies to come out of the oven. I feel anxious about how I will spread my time even thinner with another little human on the way.

I feel determined and purposeful in my work to bring you these little joys in the form of food. But I also feel soft. And slow. And content. Not ambitious and not striving.

I think I’ve come to the realization that I’m now playing a different game than I was in 2009 when I started Pinch of Yum. The game I’m playing now isn’t about followers, traffic, growth, and reach – doing all the things and doing them well. It’s about real people and real life. My real life, your real life, our real families and friends, our real hearts, and how food can be a thread that ties all of that together.

Life is always in transition, and this season – the next few months – is no exception. I will be preparing for maternity leave, and preparing to scale back for a while. You will be preparing for whatever is coming in your life and family, and we’ll just take it all as it comes, right? 

I don’t have a point I’m trying to make here other than to just say, hi, this is me, and this is where I am at these days.

And maybe you can find yourself in that as well. ♡

Thanks for being here with me. Thanks for shining your light into the internet and into your real life places.

September, we’re ready for ya.

The post September Coffee Date appeared first on Pinch of Yum.



from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/3jLsUB5
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)