The saddest thing that no one tells you about your twenties is that it is the prime time to develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, mostly due to the stress that comes with being an adult. So, if you too have found that, that sweet, sweet lactose no longer treats you the same way – or perhaps you’re living your best bean-rich vegan life (in which case, leave out the bacon) – this nifty recipe will have you enjoying a rich creamy pasta dish with no drop of dairy in sight.
Time: 40-50 mins
Cost: £
Serves: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment:
- Chopping board
- Large frying pan
- Small frying pan
- Sharp knife
- medium size saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized Butternut squash
- A bunch of fresh sage
- 1 white onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- A 250g packet of streaky bacon (optional)
- 1 veggie stock cube
- A dash of salt and pepper
- 2 tbps of vegetable oil
- 500g of a pasta of your choice
Method
- Dice the bacon and sage and fry in a small pan on low heat. Once crispy, cover and remove from the stove.
- Peel and chop the vegetables. Fry the onion and garlic on the pan with some oil, salt and pepper on a medium heat. Once the onions have turned glossy, add the diced butternut. Cover the pan until the butternut softens.
- Add half a litre of vegetable stock into the pan and simmer until most of the water has evaporated. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water.
- Once most of the water is gone, blast the veggies with a blender.
- Once the pasta is boiled, strain it and save 50ml of pasta water.
- Add the fried bacon (optional) and sage into the butternut sauce.
- Add pasta with a splash of pasta water into the mixture, if it ends up being too watery, stir it gently on a low heat.
Gretel’s Tip: If you’re making the dish for less people, save some of the sauce for a tasty soup. Two dishes, one squash. That’s cost effective.
