"Pumpkins are in season and on a whim, I decided to experiment with a dish I haven’t made for 20 years, and OMG!!! Out-of-the-park delicious with green seaweed pasta!! (Very pretty too J). So here’s the recipe - it uses bacon, but for vegetarian, drop the bacon and add crumbled fetta at the end. Serves 3 but honestly, use your judgement. I kind of made it up from memory."
Ingredients:
- Phettuccine enough for 3 people (1 box)
- A small pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm squares
- Half a small leek, thinnish sliced
- About 6 short cut rashers bacon or equivalent prosciutto or half each, chopped into little squares. Or use feta cheese for vegetarians, or olives for plant-based.
- Butter and olive oil
- Handful of pine nuts
- A spoonful of good honey
- PhycoSalt
- A sprinkle of chopped rosemary
- Grated parmesan for serving
Method:
For the pumpkin bacon and pine-nut pasta topping
- Fry the bacon / prosciutto in olive oil until a bit crispy, then add leek and fry it soft. Put the bacon and leek mix aside in another bowl.
- Add more oil to the now flavoured fry pan and fry the pumpkin cubes until caramelised on the outside and soft – but don’t overcook. (If you have too many, you can cook them and put some aside for salads). Fry with the chopped rosemary and a dash of phycosalt up front.
- Turn off the heat and add the bacon / leek mixture to the pumpkin.
- Meanwhile toast the pinenuts and add them to the mix, stirring through.
- The mix can sit for a while as the pasta cooks.
For the Phettucine
- The trick to this is once the pasta is cooked and drained, pop it back in the pot and mix with a generous amount of butter and a good ground of pepper. The well buttered seaweed pasta should taste great on their own.
To serve
- Reheat the pumpkin mix if it’s cool, add some butter if you like a slight burnt butter hint then add a spoonful of honey at the last minute and stir it through. Amount of honey and seasoning with phyco-salt to taste. (personally I found the phycosalt really added flavour.)
Serve on top of the buttered pasta and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Ta Da!!! Delicious autumn yumminess!