This recipe is a hybrid, inspired by my mother’s pumpkin savory recipe, Peter Berley’s Tomato Goat Cheese Strata and a few random ingredients in my fridge. Berley’s recipe from Fresh Food Fast uses day-old artisanal bread, which I didn’t have, but I did have a butternut squash and I was really pleased with the result. Fresh Food Fast is a really wonderful cook book. I’m not sure if I have ever cooked so many things from one book. This could easily be vegetarian, without the bacon.
1 Butternut squash
1 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
1 medium red onion
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
4 rashers bacon diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp minced sage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes (in this case with basil)
a dash of worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 lb soft goat cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a roasting pan and toss in the cubed squash. Season with salt and pepper. I think I roasted the squash for 30-40 minutes, until it was tender.
In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and cream and set aside. Berley used minced fresh flat leaf parsley but I didn’t have any.
In a large oven proof pan (I used my le creuset) heat the olive oil. Saute the onions until golden brown. Add the bacon, garlic, sage and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute. Then add the tomatoes, their juice, the worcestershire sauce and the salt. Bring it to a simmer.
Stir the roasted butternut squash into the tomato mixture. Crumble the goat cheese on top and then pour the egg and cream mixture all over. Finally sprinkle with the grated parmesan. Bake until the egg mixture is set and the surface is golden. This takes about 25 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Best served with fresh bread, something green and crunchy and red wine. Serves four or makes really good leftovers.
