We have just passed the Autumnal Equinox, marking shorter days and cooler nights. As the season changes, I often crave a comforting and indulgent dish that doesn’t come with the usual unhealthy drawbacks. This Radicchio Acorn Squash Tagliolini recipe, adaptable to your dietary preferences, perfectly fulfills that desire for a cozy, yet sophisticated meal.
As the second installment in my series highlighting the versatility of seasonal acorn squash, I’m excited to share this recipe with you. Enjoy the culinary adventure and savor every last bit of sauce on your plate. For the ultimate experience, consider pairing it with a bottle of Valpolicella red wine.
Buon appetito e salute!
Prep Time: 35 min | Roast and Cook Time: 45-50 min | Serves: 4
Basics
- 1 lb of tagliolini
for the squash
- 2 acorn squash – small-medium
- EVO oil, about 2 tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly-ground
- ½ tsp dalmatian sage
the sauce
- 1 head of radicchio – cut into strips, yielding about 3 cups
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup vegan blue cheese
- 2 tbsp plant-based butter
- 1 tbsp tarragon, fresh, minced
- 1 tsp salt
For the Acorn Squash
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Peel and slice the acorn squash into 1” thick rings. Remove the seeds. Place the squash in a shallow oven-safe dish, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender.
Cube some of the squash while making sure to have 4 whole slices remaining for plating the dish later. Set aside.
On to the Sauce
In a medium size saucepan, sauté the radicchio with butter for 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup of milk, plus salt, tarragon, and walnuts. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer ⅔ of the sauce to a food processor or blender, add the remaining ¼ cup of milk, and process until a thick mixture is obtained.
Return to the pan and combine with the rest of the unprocessed radicchio mixture. Cut in ½ cup of vegan bleu cheese and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce starts to thicken just a little.
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And the Noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tagliolini, give it a stir, and cook al dente according to the instructions on the package. Drain and return to the large pot in which you cooked them, then add the sauce. Combine thoroughly over low heat to coat.
plating
To plate your meal, put a slice of roasted acorn squash on a dinner plate, place ¼ of the seasoned tagliolini on the top, and garnish with a few pieces of squash that you cubed earlier. Repeat the same steps for the three remaining portions.
EXTRAS AND TIPS
I know it isn’t the easiest alternative ingredient to find in grocery stores, so I wanted to share the kind that I have used before: Blue cheese crumbles by “Follow Your Heart” (https://followyourheart.com/products/dairy-free-bleu-cheese-crumbles/). I find it almost always at my local grocers.
Just some suggestions for cooking perfectly al dente noodles:
Put water in a tall, large pot, and set it on a wide burner on high heat, in order to bring it to a boil. When the water reaches a jolly boil, salt with 2 tsp of coarse salt. Tip the noodles into the boiling water and cook.
Here are the tests for when the pasta is done:
- The color should remain golden yellow. A faded or white color means it is over done.
- It should hold its shape firmly.
- When bitten, there should be some resistance towards the center while the outer layer is slightly softened.
Drain the noodles in a colander, and rinse under cold water immediately to stop them from cooking any longer.
Last, but not least, the star of the show: the acorn squash. This highly versatile and delicious vegetable adds just the right amount of sweetness to a dish with an otherwise intensely bitter profile. The tarragon marries perfectly with the squash, while the nuts add texture and compliment both the radicchio and the pungent flavor of the gorgonzola/blue cheese.
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