Food with JP Passion: Roast Butternut Squash Carbonara

It’s so great to be back with you all and I hope everyone had a lovely summer and managed to enjoy some time off, good food and family celebrations, by JP Kennedy.

During my break from writing my blog I spent time trawling through my many cookbooks to get inspiration for some delicious new recipes to share with you all over the coming weeks and months.

We all get stuck in a rut from time to time, bored of cooking the same meals week after week, so I have come up with lots of new recipes to spice up and brighten your weekly meal plans: a combination of some quick mid-week delicious suppers, yummy sweet baked treats and ideas for weekend family celebration meals when we have a little more time to potter in the kitchen.

Kicking off this season is my Roast Butternut Squash Carbonara. Traditionally carbonara does not have cream, but you can include it in this recipe along with the crème fraîche, but I’m not a huge fan of creamy sauces so leave it out – but do whatever takes your fancy.

Ingredients: (serves 4, if making for less divide ingredients by half)

• 175g pancetta
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped sage
• 700g butternut squash, peeled, chopped and deseeded. (Most supermarkets have ready-prepared versions in the fresh vegetable section – it saves time!)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 400ml of hot chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche
• 50ml double cream (optional – I leave this out)
• 80g-100g of grated Parmesan
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 500g of linguine
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

1. In a large frying pan add the oil and heat over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until nice and brown and crisp, then add the fresh sage to coat in the meat drippings.

 

2. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper, but leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan then add the butternut squash to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes turning occasionally.

 

3. Add the garlic salt and cook for another 2 minutes then pour in the stock, nutmeg and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.

 

4. Cook your linguine according the instructions on the packet, drain but retain 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid for later.

 

5. Blend up the butternut squash either using a food processor or a stick blender, as I use, then add the crème fraiche and cream (if using) and blend until nice and smooth.

 

6. In the same pot you cooked the butternut squash combine the pasta and butternut squash puree and one-quarter of the pasta cooking water. Add more of the pasta cooking liquid as you need it to thin the sauce until it coats the pasta nicely. Add the parmesan cheese and top with the pancetta, fried sage leaves and a sprinkle of more parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy.

I love this new recipe and twist on a traditional carbonara.

As I live alone, I usually halve the recipe above; have one bowl for supper and the second for lunch the following day.

When reheating in a pot the next day you will need to add a drop of water to loosen up the sauce, then simply sprinkle fresh parmesan on top and you have a delicious lunch at your fingertips. As we move into the autumn I hope you will join me in giving some of these new recipes a go.

I love this time of year as it conjures up for me feelings of warmth and cosiness.

Next week I have a delicious homemade Granola recipe that goes a long way and is perfect to kickstart your day as we move into the cooler mornings.