Tacos with Winter Squash and Chipotles
Martha Rose Shulman’s current favorite ingredient is winter squash, and she thinks it makes a wonderful pairing with chipotles. The sweetness of the squash is offset by the heat of the chiles, and the texture of roasted squash strips is particularly satis
Makes 8
2 pounds butternut squash with long necks
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
Salt to taste
2 to 4 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chiles
4 ounces queso fresco or feta, crumbled (1 cup)
8 corn tortillas
Prepare the squash: Peel the entire squash, making sure to peel off the tough outer layer just underneath the skin. Trim off the ends. Cut the neck of the squash away from the bulbous bottom.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Spiralize the squash neck with the chipper (coarse shredder) blade. Take up handfuls of the spiralized squash and cut long strands into 2- to 3- inch lengths with scissors and place in a large bowl.
Remove seeds from the bulbous part of the squash and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice.
Place the spiralized squash on one baking sheet and the diced squash on another. Toss the spiralized portion with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt to taste, and the diced portion with 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste. Place in preheated oven and roast 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes (tongs work well for this), or until tender and caramelized, switching pans top to bottom halfway through. Remove from oven and transfer squash from both baking sheets to a bowl.
Add chipotles, adobo sauce and half the cheese to squash and stir together.
Heat the tortillas: Fill bottom of a steamer with 1⁄2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel. Place tortillas in steamer basket above the boiling water. Cover tightly and steam 1 minute, then turn off heat but do not uncover. Let stand 10 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap in a towel and heat tortillas in the microwave 1 to 2 minutes.)
Place two hot tortillas on each plate, and top each one with the squash. Sprinkle with queso fresco and fold tacos over.
Note: The cooked squash will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. To reheat, transfer squash to a lightly oiled baking dish and reheat in a low oven.