what do you have a soft spot for??
As long as I can remember, I like to make sure that I do my best to use all of my produce. Now this is a tall order, because I tend to go a little overboard at the grocery store and farmers market! Especially when everything looks so gorgeous and delicious! I have a particular soft spot for brightly colored fruits and vegetables. I think that it is the interior designer in me. I am constantly arranging colors and textures together in my mind. It does not matter if I am working in my studio, kitchen, or garden.
what the heck is a bunoodle tower??
With this in mind, I present to you my latest and greatest appetizer – bunoodle towers. One day last week I was zoodling and bunoodling to my hearts content, and discovered I had some leftover triangle shaped bunoodles. What is a girl to do but create a new bunoodle appetizer! I thought that some pretty little heirloom cherry tomatoes would be a great match for the bunoodle noodles. I quickly roasted the bunoodle and tomatoes and started dreaming up the sauce that would keep them from falling off the cracker.
goat cheese to the rescue!
I immediately thought of goat cheese since it would balance the sweetness of the butternut squash and the acidity of the tomatoes. I mixed the goat cheese with a little cream cheese and lemon juice and zest. I was very happy with the way that it tasted, but I thought I could bump it up to the next level. That is when I thought of pepper jelly! The sweet and spicy jelly was the magnificent addition that this spread was hungry for.
time to build the bunoodle towers!
To assemble the towers, start with your favorite sturdy cracker. Smear a little goat cheese spread on the cracker, and layer a few roasted bunoodles on the top. One more drop of goat cheese spread followed by some roasted tomatoes make the next layer. Continue this until you have your desired amount of bunoodles and tomatoes on your cracker. All that was missing was a crunchy topping. After rooting around the kitchen, I decided on pepitas. A quick roast in the saute pan and they were ready to be sprinkled on the top of your newest delicious appetizer for your next party!
roasted bunoodle (butternut squash noodles) and tomato towers with goat cheese mortar
a delicious combination of roasted bunoodles, tomatoes, and goat cheese with a creamy goat cheese spread to keep everything from falling off of your cracker!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24–30 crackers depending on how many layers of bunoodles and tomatoes that you use 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: oven and mixing bowl
Ingredients
your favorite sturdy crackers
5–6 butternut squash slices from 1 butternut squash (usually from the seeded portion) roasted
2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes roasted
olive oil and salt and pepper to roast
Goat cheese spread:
4 oz. goat cheese
4 oz. softened cream cheese
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 TB pepper jelly
1 TB pure maple syrup
8 sprigs of thyme strippped
salt and white pepper to taste
Topping:
2/3 cup roasted pepitas
Optional: freshly grated parmesan cheese for the top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Roast the pepitas in a dry saute pan for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until golden brown. Set aside for the topping.
Spiralize the butternut squash noodles and place in a bowl
Drizzle with olive oil and mix carefully with your hands or spoon to make sure all sides are coated
Place on a sheet pan and salt and pepper
Place tomatoes in a medium bowl
Drizzle with olive oil
Place on second sheet pan and salt and pepper
Roast “bunoodles” and tomatoes for 17-20 minutes or until golden and crispy
While veggies are roasting prepare the goat cheese spread:
In a large bowl whisk together all of the spread ingredients except the pepitas and parmesan cheese. Alternatively, you may use a food processor to mix the ingredients. You will want the goat cheese spread to be spreadable, so add more lemon juice for desired consistency.
Assemble crackers:
Smear a little goat cheese spread on the cracker
Place 2-3 roasted bunoodle pieces on the top of the spread
Add a dollop of goat cheese spread
Place a roasted tomato on the top of the goat cheese spread
Add a dollop of goat cheese spread
Place 2-3 roasted bunoodle pieces on the top of the spread
Continue until desired height, ending with a small dollop of goat cheese spread
Arrange on serving platter
Sprinkle the top with roasted pepitas and optional freshly grated parmesan cheese
Keywords: butternut squash bunoodles tomatoes goat cheese pepitas lemon
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