It is never a good idea for me to open Bon Appetit or its ilk in May or June because I get discomposed by all the beautiful salad photos. Who are these people that eat cantaloupe with sugar snap peas and ricotto salata? And why did I let that recipe, with its gorgeous array of painfully frenched pea pods and sprinkle of Aleppo-style pepper, spoil the pride I felt in finally discovering a valid use for butternut squash noodles?
More particularly, why do so many of my recipes look like they were inspired by Al Davis (the NFL owner whose motto was “Just Win, Baby”) as opposed to, say, Brillat-Savarin? Is it not possible to combine things that taste great together and still come in lovely contrasting colors?
Maybe sometimes, but not for this salad, whose personal motto is “Win Ugly.” My big insight here – the hole that I found between the guard and tackle – was to sprinkle the mock pasta noodles with chili powder and a bit of olive oil, then grill them until tender. When they came off the grill, glistening and shrunk down to a caramelized tangle about half the size they started with, they were crying out for unification with the steak tips on the other side of the barbecue.
But I had to have an interesting salad. Because I was not just hungry. I was jealous.
So I tossed the ersatz noodles, while they were still warm, with toasted pecans and a nubbleized chunk of clover blossom honey goat cheese I had just bought out of whimsy and curiosity (why did goat farmers in Vermont make a point of buying honey from North Dakota?), which turned out to be exactly complementary. Also some sliced peppadews, for spice. And since the noodles were still warm enough to be slick with their olive oil marinade, a little balsamic vinegar was the only dressing required.
But did it need that final, whimsical sprinkle of pepper flakes? Only on my plate, because I’m jaded. And Bon Appetit is right, of course, true Syrian Aleppo peppers haven’t been available for years, but you can still get a perfect substitute that Burlap and Barrel sells as Silk Chili, or get Urfa Biber peppers from the next mountain over in Turkey, from The Spice House or many other sources.
Grilled Butternut Squash Salad with Honey Goat Cheese, Peppadews and Pecans
Grilling sweetens and concentrates the butternut squash flavor
Mix the noodles, chili powder, salt and oil until well coated (both the noodles and your hands or spoon). Grill on a perforated grill sheet or pan, tossing gently but frequently, about 15 minutes. The noodles will caramelize a bit, and reduce in size by about half. Turn off heat but keep the noodles on the warm grill, or in a low oven, until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, toast the pecans and slice up the peppadews. When ready to serve, chunk the goat cheese over the noodles in a large bowl, drizzle on the vinegar, and toss gently with the nuts and peppers. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Cold, these noodles lose their charm and absorb the oil they were grilled in. But if you must do ahead and refrigerate, add the extra 2 T of olive oil and warm them up in a slow oven before proceeding as directed. Sprinkle with any kind of chili flakes, if you like it spicier. A lemon wedge is nice, to cut the sweetness. This is excellent with grilled steak tips.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the noodles, chili powder, salt and oil until well coated (both the noodles and your hands or spoon). Grill on a perforated grill sheet or pan, tossing gently but frequently, about 15 minutes. The noodles will caramelize a bit, and reduce in size by about half. Turn off heat but keep the noodles on the warm grill, or in a low oven, until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, toast the pecans and slice up the peppadews. When ready to serve, chunk the goat cheese over the noodles in a large bowl, drizzle on the vinegar, and toss gently with the nuts and peppers. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Cold, these noodles lose their charm and absorb the oil they were grilled in. But if you must do ahead and refrigerate, add the extra 2 T of olive oil and warm them up in a slow oven before proceeding as directed. Sprinkle with any kind of chili flakes, if you like it spicier. A lemon wedge is nice, to cut the sweetness. This is excellent with grilled steak tips.