I love creamy pasta. What I don’t love is all the cream, milk, and cheese that make it so creamy. This butternut squash pasta recipe is the best of both worlds. It’s smooth and creamy without the milk products. As a bonus, you can make this as a vegan dish or sprinkle some crispy, crumbly bacon bits to satisfy your meat cravings.

Butternut squash is from the pumpkin family and is versatile enough to be used in various dishes—from soups to a roasted side dish and this pasta sauce. They are a good source of fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin A. It is not commonly available in India, but once in a while you do find it.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Fettuccine 

Ingredients:

Makes 3 servings

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 large pod garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fettuccine for 3
• 5-6 bacon strips (optional)
• 2 tbsp Sambal Oelek
• ½ cup grated parmesan (or vegan) cheese 
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
• Salt

Method:

• Peel, de-seed, and chop the butternut squash into small chunks. 
• Separate the seeds and soak them in water to clean. These can be roasted on medium heat to add to the pasta or eaten as a snack.
• You can either boil or bake the squash. 
• If boiling, just cook them with a cup of water till soft.
• If roasting, coat the pieces with 1 tablespoon of oil and about a teaspoon of salt. Lay the pieces flat on a baking tray and bake at 200deg C for about 30 minutes. Halfway through, stir the pieces and add the peeled garlic.
• Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine as per instructions. Keep aside the pasta water.
• On another pan, cook the bacon strips till crisp. Keep aside on a paper towel. 
• Once the squash has cooled down a bit, give it a whirl in the blender with half a cup of the pasta water.
• Heat up a pan and add a tablespoon of oil.
• Next, add the squash and the sambal oelek.
• Add more of the pasta water to make a creamy consistency.
• Stir in the pasta and coat it well.
• Add the rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes if using.
• To serve, spoon the pasta into the bowls. Top with grated cheese and crumbled bacon strips. 
• You can even add the roasted pumpkin seeds for some crunch.
• Enjoy it hot!

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