I realised the other day that all my recipes that I have posted on this blog have been sweet. This is natural for me, because I LOVE baking or making desserts. I don’t mind messing around making new meals also, but it’s making sweet things that I’m more passionate about.

So I thought I ought to post something savoury. Since lots of Mums read this blog, why not a quick and easy midweek dinner? This is one of our favourites. It’s on the table in half an hour, but you don’t have to be in the kitchen that whole time, there’s plenty of time available to be interrupted by children while you prepare this meal. I won’t give quantities, I just normally chuck in what is needed for our family, I’m sure it’s simple enough for you to work out what your family requires

Roast Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin
Minced garlic
Pine nuts
Baby Spinach
Pasta
Bacon
Cream (or you could use Philly cooking cream, or ricotta)
Parmesan cheese

While you are dicing the pumpkin and bacon, roast the pine nuts under the grill. Set aside. Throw the diced pumpkin into the same pan, toss garlic and olive oil then roast in oven on a low heat for about half an hour.

During last 15 minutes, cook pasta according to packet directions. You can use any type of pasta, we quite often have ravioli or tortellini, just to bulk the meal up a little more. After the pasta is cooked, pour the pasta into a colander. Use the same saucepan, (I’m a big fan on limiting washing up afterwards!), cook bacon in olive oil. (Sometimes I chuck in some extra garlic while cooking the bacon.) Pour pasta back in the saucepan with the bacon and pour in cream, stir through. Finally stir in pumpkin, pine nuts and spinach. Grate Parmesan on top.


Finished dish, except I forgot the cheese, and there was no spinach, since ours had wilted in the fridge! Not restaurant quality, (would never present it to George and Gary on Masterchef!), still yummy, and a hit with the kids.