Creamy Butternut, Bacon, and Lentil Pappardelle

Recipe from HowSweetItIs.com.

A delicious use of autumn squash! 

Prep Time

0 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Yield

4 Servings

Ingredients

6 slices bacon (thick cut, chopped)
4 leek (cleaned, trimmed and sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 1⁄2 cups squash, butternut (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
1 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
1 cup cheese, parmigiano-reggiano (freshly grated)
8 ounces pasta, pappardelle

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (a few minutes), drain, and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is almost crispy, then add the leeks and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and butternut squash along with the pepper and nutmeg. Toss the squash well to coat it in the bacon fat, then cover the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the squash is just tender.

With the heat on low, stir in the half and half and the cheese. Cook and stir until the cream is just warmed, then stir in the cooked pasta. Toss the ingredients together to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning if desired. Serve immediately!