Categories: Salad
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 cups torn or coarsely chopped stale peasant-style Italian bread
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- A little freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. Calabrian chile paste
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, center stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 slices cold meaty bacon, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup grainy Dijon
- 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seed oil or olive oil
- 1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
- About 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the bread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until deep golden brown and fragrant, about 18 minutes.
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Cut the neck off of the butternut squash. Peel the neck and coarsely grate.
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In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the grated squash; season with salt and pepper, nutmeg, and smoked paprika. Add the onion and chile paste. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and stock. Simmer over medium heat until the kale wilts, the stock is absorbed, and the squash is soft, about 5 minutes.
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In another large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the maple syrup. Add the vinegar. Stir in the mustard. Remove from heat. Whisk the oil into the dressing.
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Toss the bread with the squash and greens. Remove from heat. Mix in the warm bacon dressing. Top with the pepitas and curls of Parm.