Butternut squash and feta tagliatelle served with steamed spinach

I don’t often blog recipes because I rarely take the time to cook something spectacular, and when I do, I’m rarely satisfied with the outcome. I never live up to my own incredibly high standards but I’m working on it. Slowly.

This, however, is an exception: this dish is really quite special and friends have been begging me to blog the recipe for ages. It’s an adaptation of a dish that my mother cooked a few years back, but no-one in the family was an enamoured with it as me.

You see, whilst I wasn’t a fussy eater as a child, I had one big dislike. Potatoes. Ugh, how I hated potatoes. And before you think “Ah, but come on, all kids love crisps. All kids love chips.” You are wrong. I HATED chips.

My mother, intent on feeding me some carbs, brought me up on pasta, rice and noodles. And people wonder why I love Italian and Asian food.

Pasta is something that is generally done atrociously in the UK – I never order it out but I regularly cook it at home. It’s cheap, quick and easy. And if you get it right, it is one of the most satisfying and comforting dishes out there.

Here’s a recipe that’s sweet, delicious and with a good amount of kick.

Butternut Squash and Feta Tagliatelle
Serves 2 -3 

Recipe

Fresh egg tagliatelle 350g

Feta, 120 – 150g (to taste)

One butternut squash, cubed

Four rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into pieces

Hello deliciouness

One red pepper, chopped

Half a white onion, chopped

Two cloves of garlic, crushed

One tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

One teaspoon chilli flakes (this is the cheapo version. By all means, substitute for fresh)

One teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

 Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Cut the butternut squash into chunks and chop the red pepper. Put in a dish with olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the butternut squash is really soft.
2. Fry the bacon for 2 minutes on a medium heat, then add the onion. Fry until the onion becomes clear.
3. Add the garlic, rosemary, chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Fry for about 3 minutes.
4. Boil the tagliatelle for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Turn down the heat on the pan, add the tagliatelle, butternut squash and pepper. Mix well – the butternut squash should be soft enough to coat the tagliatelle.
6. Add the feta and mix gently.
7. Season to taste and serve with steamed spinach or vegetables of your choice.
8. Try not to eat it all in one go.