The sweetness of the roasted pumpkin contrasts beautifully with the salty crispnes of the bacon and the nuttiness of the parmesan. Buy the best quality parmesan you can – it really makes a difference when you use good quality cheese.
Serves 4
750g jap pumpkin, diced into 1 cm cubes
250g bacon, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, diced
100g baby spinach
500g linguini
300ml cream
120g parmesan cheese, shaved
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bake the pumpkin in the oven at 200C until lightly brown and soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile pan fry the onion and the bacon with a little oil until the onion is soft and bacon is becoming crispy. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Put on a pot of water, salt lightly and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Just before the pasta is cooked, add the cream and the spinach to the bacon mixture and reduce slightly over medium heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the roasted pumpkin. Top with the shaved parmesan and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Simple food 