Take Life By The Fork: Wonton "Pasta" with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

I seem to be using butternut squash a lot these days.. I think it is mostly due to how easy it is to prepare and its versatility. In this case, the simplicity of the dish really makes it stand out as "post-worthy". As you will surely notice, there is nothing difficult about this recipe and it would be very easy to play around with (stuffing the wontons with different fillings, for example). All the flavors below just seemed to "work" when I tried it, so that's what I'm posting.

I like the lightness of the wonton wrappers as compared to pasta. This light texture calls for a light sauce like brown butter, otherwise the wontons would be over-powered (like if a thick alfredo sauce was used).

Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Wonton "Pasta" in Brown Butter

1 butternut squash

1 package of goat cheese

fresh rosemary or sage

1 package wonton wrappers (one squash will make roughly 40)

unsalted butter

Roast the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 375˚. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Make a few slices in the skin on the backside of each half and lay cut side down on the baking sheet. I place some sprigs of the fresh herbs under the halves to add some flavor. Bake until very tender, approximately 45 minutes. When you can handle the squash (preferably while it's still hot), use a fork to scrape out the inside into a bowl.

Assemble the wontons. On parchment paper, lay out a portion of the wonton wrappers (I usually work with roughly 10 at a time). Don't let the wrappers sit out too long before using, as they will dry out and be more difficult to work with. I go so far as to close up the package while assembling each batch. Place a small scoop of butternut squash and a bit of goat cheese into the middle of each wonton wrapper. Close the wontons by wetting two edges of each square and folding them closed, making sure to trap as little air as possible inside. How you fold them up after this is up to you - I tend to fold them into little square envelopes. At this point the wontons are ready to be cooked or frozen! Simple, eh?

To cook, lower them into boilding water and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until they float. The wontons generally sink when first placed in the water, so you want to be sure that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, which they tend to do quickly and easily.

I like to serve mine in a simple brown butter sauce. To make the sauce, simple melt some butter in a pan over medium heat (how much depends on how many people - I do 1/4 cup at a time for myself). Throw in a few sprigs of the same fresh herbs that were used while roasting the squash, and simply keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally so the butter does not burn. The butter will start to turn a golden color while cooking (in case you were wondering, the milk solids in the butter are toasting, causing the color change and aroma). Be careful not to over-cook and burn the butter, as it can change quickly.

Pour the brown butter over the wonton pastas, and you have a simple, tasty dish!

Here are a few pictures of the process: