Squash with White Beans and Bacon

I’ve said before that squash is hit or miss with the Engineer. I never really know in advance how he’ll react to a dish, either. For example, I had made baked spaghetti squash carbonara, thinking that bacon would make everything better. After all, who doesn’t like a carbonara? Well, apparently, the Engineer. Too bad! I tried again with a Real Simple recipe for pumpkin with white beans and bacon. I couldn’t find any sugar pumpkins, so I used the familiar butternut squash instead, and this time, the Engineer really liked it. Success! Now if only this recipe had convinced the Little Prince to eat beans…

4 slices bacon
1 small sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 ½ lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves
kosher salt and black pepper
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon; let cool, then break into pieces. Reserve the skillet.

Add the pumpkin to the drippings in the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth, oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 6 to 8 minutes more. Add the beans and vinegar and heat through, 2 minutes. Top with the bacon.