LUCY BURDETTE: Suppose you have a hankering for a side dish for the holiday that’s a little different, but keeps the spirit too? And suppose you have vegetarian guests coming who won’t share in the turkey? Here’s an unusual autumn recipe that might solve both problems. I happened to have both gorgeous sage and leeks in my garden when I first tried this, but grocery store sage will work fine too...
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash,
8-12 fresh sage leaves, stems discarded
3 medium or 2 large leeks, cleaned and finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb rotini or penne
1 cup chicken broth
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to serve on the side
Cut the squash open, seed it, and cut into slices. Place this on a baking pan with the garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until soft and just beginning to turn golden. Cool and peel, then process the vegetables in a food processor until smooth, along with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Keep this warm.
While the squash is baking, sauté leeks in olive oil until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the prepared squash to the pan and simmer over low heat, about two minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Cook rotini in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, heat vegetable oil in an 8- to 9-inch skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp but still green, under 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Drain the pasta and add this to the squash mixture in a large bowl, thinning with warm chicken broth if it's too thick. Decorate with a few of the fried sage leaves, and serve the others on the side with extra cheese.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We’re so thankful to all of our readers who visit Mystery Lovers Kitchen and share our love for food, mysteries, and foodie mysteries. So we’re celebrating you, our fans and friends, by giving away a book. I’ll send out a copy of DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS to one commenter. Tell me the one Thanksgiving dish you can't live without. Remember to leave your email.
The new book is hitting bookshelves on December 2--you can preorder here. I'm utterly thrilled with the first book review, from Booklist:
Burdette infuses the mystery with Key West spirit and
holiday fun along with delicious food references and recipes. This strong series continues a unique blend
of island mayhem and sparkling characters surrounding a layered mystery.
And if you haven’t settled on your Thanksgiving menu yet, visit our page chock full of Thanksgiving recipes: Savor the Season!
I love the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and it just wouldn't be complete without the cranberries.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sue, I agree.
DeleteDaryl
I'm with you on that one, Sue! cranberries all the way.
DeleteCheers, MJ
What an interesting recipe. I am going to have to try this. The dish I can not live with out would be the dressing/stuffing.
ReplyDeleteBabsbookbistro@gmail.com
You and my family, Babs!
DeleteDaryl / Avery :)
I love it all, but without the stuffing and cranberry sauce, I'd just have to stay in bed.
DeleteCheers,
MJ/VA
LOVE the new book!!! Quite a lot of excitement in the story.
ReplyDeleteThis looks scrumptious! What a great idea. Thanks
thank you Libby! xo
DeleteLove this series and can't wait read this book. Can't live without the dressing!
ReplyDeleterjprazak6@gmail.com
Believe it or not, when I was younger I didn't like dressing (which we've always called stuffing even though I now cook it separately) but at some point I came around and now I love it!
DeleteLooking forward to it! Love both your series but Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series my favorite!!
DeleteThis looks delicious and the new book even more delicious!
ReplyDeleteDaryl / Avery
Apple pie! alyssa_mcneil@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteOh, yum! I adore apple pie. I make with a gluten-free crust and it's delicious!
DeleteDaryl / Avery
You guys always make me SO hungry! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner, especially dressing.
ReplyDeletepatucker54 at aol dot com
Me too, Patricia! Even though we celebrate in October up here in Canada, we'll do it again on Nov 27th.
DeleteHappy happy.
MJ/VA
I can't live without my sweet potatoes! Along with the turkey it's the only time of year I have them. pp92596 at outlook dot com
ReplyDeleteDid you see Cleo's recipe, given to her by a fan? Wow! With pecans and lots of brown sugar.
DeleteDaryl/ Avery
My mom's mashed potatoes are like love on a plate and remind me of so many good times.
ReplyDeletebabsnature@gmail.com
I am a HUGE mashed potato fan! I could eat a whole bowl of them for dinner and be very happy!
DeleteStuffing with gravy, but not the sweet kind with apples and raisins...savory stuffing with mushrooms and bacon! Kuzlin at aol.com
ReplyDeleteWe've all about the savory in gravy too, Kuzlin!
DeleteCheers,
MJ/VA
Cranberry sauce and green bean casserole.
ReplyDeletekpowers784@yahoo.com
My daughter always insists on the green bean casserole!
DeleteMy favorite Thanksgiving food would have to be stuffing. angelhwk68@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThe dish I can't go without is homemade dressing. 10 cups cubed and dried bread
ReplyDelete3 cups diced celery and onion (sautéed)
2tsp poultry seasoning
1/2-2/3rd cup of melted butter
1-1 1/2c chicken or turkey broth
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
combine all the ingredients and turn into a greased casserole dish
bake until top is crispy in a 400° oven
I will have to try adding the dried cranberries to mine. My newseries, which debuts in August 2015, called Cranberry Cove, takes place on a cranberry farm!
DeleteSausage and cranberry stuffing. Has both sweet italian sausage and pork breakfast sausage along with dried cranberries soaked in cider. And I only make it for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds terrific, Tracey!
DeleteCheers,
MJ/VA
Ooops, forgot my e-mail traceyr1984@msn.com
ReplyDeleteFabulous, Lucy/Roberta! Love it - and it can keep on giving later in the season,
ReplyDeleteHugs,
MJ
Time was when Thanksgiving was the only time of year we ate turkey, dressing, cranberries and green bean casserole. But today we eat most of these throughout the year. But the one food that announces that Fall has arrived in the South is COLLARDS. Love, love,love.
ReplyDeleteWe're eating more turkey during the year, too, and I just made cranberry sauce for a cheesecake topping that I'll share around Xmas. It was delish!
DeleteDaryl / Avery
Sounds amazing!
ReplyDeletelittleone AT Shaw DOT ca
Stuffing
ReplyDeleteroasted veggies and turkey. love your recipes. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWonderful, Greens, turkey and spuds. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI like the standards...turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries and green beans. You can keep the gravy.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
Linda, I've never been a gravy person either, but i know some people won't eat turkey without it. I adore mashed potatoes and cranberries!
DeleteDaryl / Avery
I love stuffing! grammyd01 (at) comcast (dot) net
ReplyDeleteI have to have 'dressing' (the southern stuffing) for it to be Thanksgiving, and the sweet potato casserole. :)
ReplyDeleteafarage(at)earthlink.net.net
I can't have Thanksgiving without mashed swede (turnips) I could just make a meal from that lol
ReplyDeletedebbiec1313@yahoo.com
Love my sister's homemade stuffing!
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
I couldn't live without the stuffing or the cranberry sauce. These are my favorites!!!
ReplyDeleteChestnut stuffing. I could just about skip anything else and just eat a plate of stuffing.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my Father it would be stuffing. He loves stuffing from inside the turkey. Cannot wait for the new book! Looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteStuffing with Gravy.
ReplyDeletegibsonbk at hiwaay dot net
Pecan pie!
ReplyDeletesweet potatoe pie
ReplyDeletexzjh04@ gmail.com
1 - You are making me hungry and I don't appreciate it, most uncouth.
ReplyDelete2 - I don't like turkey so what I always looked forward to was my mom's Maryland Fried Chicken. And now I have made myself hungry, and I don't appreciate it one bit, hooligan.
Definely cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce. Dressing made in the pan by a friend. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteTenniace50 at yahoo dot com
all of it! LOL OK turkey (love), dressing (love), OK I take it back all of it. :-) JillNFilm@aol.com
ReplyDeleteCornbread and sausage stuffing and cranberries. We eat turkey all year long, but for some reason I only make the stuffing and cranberries at Thanksgiving!!!
ReplyDeletesharonquiltsatyahoo.com
My mom's mac n cheese ... she makes it from scratch. Its divine!!
ReplyDeletedcgirl919@hotmail.com
I would miss the homemade dinner rolls, stuffing, turkey, and the list goes on. I can not pick just one. :(
ReplyDeletemyrifraf(at)gmail.com
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving dinner just would not be the same without stuffing. Any other time of the year turkey (or chicken) is fine without stuffing but I just have to have stuffing on Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeletebree62@outlook.com
Our Thanksgiving turkey just wouldn't be right without Mama's Cornbread Dressing and Giblet Gravy.
ReplyDeletetcuevas@iccable.com