Butternut and Bacon Pasta Salad

This is one of my all time favorite dishes to eat and I thought I'd share the recipe with you. It's quick sticks easy to make, vibrant and darn delicious!

Serves 2 - 4 people.

Ingredients:

 
2 bags of pre-chopped butternut cubes or 1 large butternut chopped into cubes.


1 bag of bacon (I usually go for slightly fatty pieces, you'll see why)


2 cups of pasta of your choice (I go for small macaroni tubes or shells).


A tub of feta of your choice.

Toasted almonds (or whatever tickles your fancy).


Fresh rocket leaves.



A good olive oil.

Spices of your choice (I go a little crazy on this one, it's what gives the butternut so much flavor). Garlic spice, salt, pepper, parsley, meat spice, etc


Let's get cooking!

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees.
   
   
2. Place the chopped butternut into a baking tray and drizzle a GOOD amount of olive oil over. Spice them up well and stir them around to ensure that all the butternut is coated. Pop the tray into the oven and cook until the butternut is soft (around 35 - 45 minutes)
   
   
3. Place a pot of water on the stove for the pasta and bring to the boil. Remember to add salt and I like to add a tablespoon of olive oil too. Drop the pasta in and cook until al dente.
   
   
4. Chop the bacon up into small pieces and cook in a pan. Place it to one side to cool slightly. Remember to give the butternut an occasional stir.
   
   
5. Once the butternut is cooked through, remove it from the oven and place it to one side to cool to room temperature.
   
   
6. This is where it all comes together. Grab a bowl to mix your salad in. Pour the butternut, bacon and pasta into the bowl. Remember the fat that cooked off from the bacon? Well, get all those juices into the bowl as well (it just adds more flavor and makes all the difference). Give it a good stir.
   
   
7. Break some feta into the salad with your fingers. Add as much as you'd like and mix it into the salad.
   
   
8. Rinse the rocket leaves and add it in. Give it a quick stir.
   
   
9. Dish up as much as you'd like and don't forget to sprinkle some of those toasted almonds on top.
   
   
10. Bon appetit!
    
    
    
    

I usually make a large portion to have as a snack the next day. I just double the ingredients up.

I hope your taste buds are as happy as mine when I dig into a bowl of this stuff. You just can't go wrong!

Enjoy!