Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Fettuccine with Bacon

Ingredients

• 3 cups of cubed butternut squash
• 4 cloves garlic - leave skin on
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 6 sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 400g fettucine
• ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. On a baking sheet, toss the squash, garlic, thyme, chili flakes and olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the squash is tender. Remove the skin of the garlic and discard.
3. In the meantime, add the bacon to a large skillet and cook. Browning until it’s crispy. In the last 20 seconds of cooking, add the sage and cook until just wilted.Remove the bacon and sage with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the skillet. Turn off the heat.
4. In the meantime, add a large pot of water to the stove to boil. Season the water with salt. Add the pasta, stir for about 15 seconds. Cook until the pasta is al dente.
5. Add the roasted squash, garlic, and ricotta cheese to a blender along with half a cup of the pasta water and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Drain the pasta,reserving a cup of the water.
7. Turn the skillet with the remaining bacon fat in it to medium heat. Pour in the creamy squash mixture. Thin it out with more pasta water if it seems overly thick. Heat the mixture up for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture is warm, stir in the parmesan cheese and pepper. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
8. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding more pasta water as needed. Continue to cook and stir for another minute or so until the pasta is well coated and the sauce has thickened.
9. Transfer the pasta to a serving platter, garnish with the bacon and sage.