I’ve completed another item on my “50 Things I Need To Cook Before I Turn 30” list. Okay, I don’t have an actual written list perse, but I do have a mental one. High up on that list was “poach an egg.” I don’t know why it’s taken me 26 years to poach an egg, but it has.
To showcase my new skill, I’ve made a healthy bowl of butternut squash noodles, topped with roasted asparagus and mushrooms. The best part about eggs on top of pasta is that they become like a naturalĀ carbonara – all you need is a fork to pop the egg and the yolk runny-ness becomes a creamy and tastyĀ sauce.
If I were to make this recipe again (which I will – the aromas of the freshly roasted vegetables combined with the cracked poached egg are sinfully good), I’ll poach two eggs. The photo looks better with one egg – doesn’t it look so delicate?
Not so delicate now…
Seriously, this is like the heartier fall version of my Zucchini Spaghetti and Fried Eggs.
Let’s get to the specifics… you know, How To Poach an Egg.
Step 1: Heat the water until there are bubbles on the bottom, as if it’s about to boil. Don’t let it boil.
Step 2: Pour your egg into the water slowly and carefully. It helps if you put it into a little bowl beforehand.
Step 3: Lower the heat so that it keeps at a before-boiling state. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes. It’s okay to push in the edges very lightly with your spoon, if the egg whites disperse too much (like mine did). Do this after at least 30 seconds of cooking.
Poke the yolk after about 3 minutes and if it’s jiggly but firm, time to take it out. You don’t want to cook it through, so as long as the egg whites look like they’re set, you can take it out. A good trick is to try to spoon it out (with a slotted spoon) and poke it with your finger. If it feels undercooked and too delicate, place it carefully back in. If it jiggles firmly, you’re done. If it is hard and doesn’t bounce back, try again!
Step 4: Remove carefully with a slotted spoon! I like to place my spoon (with the egg) on top of a paper towel to drain a bit before plating in.
And now for the actual recipe!
Roasted Asparagus & Mushroom Butternut Squash Noodles with a Poached Egg
Ingredients
- 4 stalks of asparagus
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms I used white button
- olive oil cooking spray
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 3" section of butternut squash, peeled, Blade C
- olive oil to drizzle
- 1 large egg or two
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare your asparagus. Snap off one half-inch off the ends and then cut into three sections.
- Coat a baking tray with cooking spray and place in the asparagus and mushrooms.
- Let vegetables roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Place the butternut squash noodles on another baking tray and drizzle olive oil. Mix to combine thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. 5 minutes before the other vegetables are done, add in these noodles. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened to your preference.
- After you put the noodles in the oven, add a medium-sized saucepan filled 1/3 the way with water. Heat until bubbles form on the bottom, almost at boiling level.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, crack an egg into a small dish, and pour very carefully and slowly into the water.
- Let cook for about 3-4 minutes. Pull the egg out with a slotted spoon and poke it. If it is jiggly yet firm, it's done. If it's hard to the touch, it's overdone. If it's too delicate, cook for another 30 seconds.
- Place the spoon on a folded paper towel to drain, while you finish preparing the pasta.
- Place your butternut squash noodles in a bowl with the roasted vegetables. Top with the drained poached egg. Enjoy!
What’s on your to-do list?
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