Butternut squash, kale & bacon pasta bake
12
Points®
Total time: 55 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 45 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
Satisfying and family-friendly, this colourful pasta bake tastes far more indulgent than it actually is, and makes the perfect comfort food on a cool autumn night
Ingredients
Butternut Squash
500 g, cut into 2cm cubes
Red onion
2 medium, cut into chunks
Rosemary, Fresh
2 sprig(s), picked and finely chopped
Wholewheat Pasta, dry
225 g, fusilli
Kale, raw
200 g
Bacon medallions, raw
8 rasher(s), diced
Garlic
3 clove(s)
Half Fat Crème Frâiche
200 g
Chicken stock cube(s)
1 cube(s), 250ml stock
Cornflour
2 tablespoon(s), level
Parmesan Cheese
25 g, grated
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas mark 7. Put the squash, onion and rosemary in a roasting tin, mist with cooking spray and season. Roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway, until the squash is soft and slightly golden. Once the veggies are cooked, remove from the oven then reduce the temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6.
2
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil and cook the pasta to pack instructions. Add the kale for the final minute to wilt. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
3
Mist a large frying pan with cooking spray and cook the bacon over a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute, then stir in the crème fraîche, 250ml chicken stock, cornflour and half the Parmesan. Season and simmer for 1 minute then remove from the heat and stir through the pasta, kale and squash mixture. Loosen by adding a little of the reserved pasta water.
4
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, top with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes.
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