Goat Cheese Pasta With Acorn Squash & Melted Leeks

This post is sponsored by Cypress Grove.

Working On That Winter Pasta Bod

I’ve found my new favorite pasta sauce. It’s easy to make and rich with creamy goat cheese,
and sings with all the flavors of fall. It looks a little like an alfredo but tastes way more interesting
because I’ve used some seriously clutch chèvre: PsycheDillic® from Cypress Grove in California.

Its bright dill flavors play off of roasted acorn squash, buttery leeks, and a squirt of lemon juice.
It’s. So. Good.

Honestly, I am not that into flavored cheeses. They’re often so overpowering you can’t taste the natural cheese flavor. And I’m obviously all about that natural cheese flavor. 

But Cypress Grove’s PsycheDillic® has the perfect amount of aromatic and hand-harvested dill pollen and dill weed. The flavor is deep and seductive, but not overwhelming. It makes me crave smoked fish and bagels. It’s damn dill-ightful, especially when melted into this sauce.

PsycheDillic Pasta with Acorn Squash and Melted Leeks

Serves 2, generously

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons butter

• ½ leek, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons white wine

• ½ cup chicken broth

• 4 oz PsycheDillic® from Cypress Grove

For the pasta:

• 1 lb. acorn squash, peeled and cut into 2″ cubes

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 6 oz rigatoni or fusilli pasta

• extra PsycheDillic®, for garnish

• lemon juice, to serve

• salt and pepper

Equipment:

• baking sheet, lined with foil or a silpat

• saucepan

• 4-6 qt pot

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. Toss squash with 2 teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Lay out on the baking sheet.

3. Roast until soft and browned, about 25 – 30 minutes. Stir halfway through to keep from burning.

4. Heat the butter in the saucepan over medium-low. Add leeks with a pinch of salt and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

5. Pour leeks over acorn squash and toss.

6. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to sauce pan. Add garlic and a little salt. Cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. 

7. Whisk in the wine and broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 10-15 minutes.

8. Crumble in most of the PsycheDillic®, reserving some for garnish. Whisk until thoroughly combined, and remove from heat.

9. Fill the 4-6 qt pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta, according to instructions on package.

10. Drain pasta, and toss with PsycheDillic® sauce. 

11. Distribute sauced pasta onto plates and top with squash and leeks. 

12. Season with black pepper, a squirt of lemon juice, and extra crumbles of cheese. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Cypress Grove for sponsoring this post and the Cheese Sex Death mission!
Cheesus bless!