Roasted Butternut Squash and Arugula Salad

This recipe is adapted from one of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes which I happened to see on her show on the Food Network several years ago. Over time I have added a few tweaks to it, but all the credit goes to Ina Garten.


The combination of roasted butternut squash, peppery arugula and tart-sweet cider dressing makes a wonderful winter salad that is relatively simple but exploding with flavor. When Jamie came over a little while ago for dinner, I served this salad alongside the mac and cheese recipe from the previous post. I normally use goat cheese, which is what you will see in this recipe, but the other night I used blue cheese instead and the flavor combination was a real winner.

mmm... mac and cheese

Please forgive the slightly blurry camera phone shot. My camera wasn't working and Jamie was kind enough to take a few shots for me.

I am a carb slut, it is true. I have a deep fondness for breads and pastas and I've never met a potato I didn't like. My waistline and my genetic predisposition for diabetes don't appreciate it, but often I find myself with fiendish cravings for starchy dishes. I also adore dairy products. Cheese, in all its delicious varieties, is probably one of the single greatest accomplishments of human civilization. Forget penicillin, I vote for cheese. Given my penchant for cheesy, carby goodness, I was none too surprised when last Sunday I woke up with a huge hankering for mac and cheese.