It’s autumn and I’m falling in love with the change of season. Warming meals, seasonal veg and a move away from salads to stews. In season right now are squashes, sweetcorn, marrow, beetroot, carrots and leeks. Cooking with the seasons can lead to tastier produce and means your food can travel less miles so it’s better all round. If you want to know what is in season when, check out Love British Food. Squashes are an all time favourite of mine. I love the colour, texture and flavour… my only dislike is peeling them.
So this week I’ve had fun rediscovering butternut squash. This pasta dish was inspired by a meal a friend used to make using gammon and cream. Cooking with cream really isn’t my thing, so I’ve altered it to a tomato based dish. The rest of the squash went into a truly scrummy butternut and lentil curry.
- 4 rashers bacon
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 butternut squash
- 3 large carrots
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 1 courgette
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh oregano
- Pepper
- Chop the bacon, onions and garlic.
- Start cooking the bacon in a non stick pan, which should mean you don't need any oil.
- Next add the onions and garlic, cook until softened.
- Peel, chop and deseed the butternut squash and carrots. Chop into 2cm cubes.
- Add the squash and carrots to the pan with the white wine, stir and then cover with a lid. Allow this to cook on a low-medium heat so the vegetables steam a little.
- Meanwhile chop the courgette into cubes and now add this to the pan.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomatoe puree and sugar.
- Place the lid back on the pan and allow this to cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta.
- The squash should now be soft, check with a knife.
- Stir in the pepper and oregano and taste.
- Serve on top of pasta, with shavings of parmesan.
