Butternut Tagliatelle with Crispy Bacon and Mushrooms

Butternut Tagliatelle with Crispy Bacon and Mushrooms

from "Drizzle and Dip" blog. Recipe found here. 

If I could eat one food for the rest of my life... it'd be this. Okay, that might be a little extreme but this is amazing. As said in the original blog, this is a wonderful change from regular old tomato sauces and cream based sauces. When mixing it all together and adding the bacon it reminded me a little of pasta carbonera, but this was better (and healthier) then any carbonera i've ever had!  

• 1 medium butternut, peeled and diced (about 4 heaped cups)
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt & pepper
• 4 slices prosciutto or Parma ham
• 150g mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 100g bacon, cut its bite sized pieces
• 120g brown mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• pinch of hot pepper flakes
• tagliatelle pasta

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Put the butternut squash into a food processor or blender. While the oven is still hot, put the slices of prosciutto on the baking tray used for the squash and roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until crispy and curly. When the prosciutto is ready, set aside. Blend the butternut squash, mascarpone cheese and chicken stock until smooth. Set aside. Heat a large frying pan and cook the bacon. Set aside. In the same pan, add butter and cook the mushrooms. When they start to get all nice and brown, add the thyme and garlic. Cook for another few minutes. Add the butternut squash mixture, the regular bacon and a pinch of hot pepper flakes to the pan and mix. Boil water, and a generous pinch of salt and cook the pasta according to instructions. Save some pasta water to thin down the butternut squash sauce in the pan (approx 60 ml). When the pasta is cooked, add to the sauce.

We garnished our with the prosciutto, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds! Yum. Yum yum yum. Yum. I can't wait for lunch tomorrow because I'm eating left overs. 

FUN FACT: butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, power antioxidants. It also provides vitamin C and fiber and is an ample amount of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure.