3036. RADIATORI with BACON, BUTTERNUT SQUASH and CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

1 lb. radiatori
4 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. bacon
1-1.5 lbs. butternut squash (4 cups when peeled and chopped)
3 cups chanterelle mushrooms
2 cups white wine
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly grated parmesan and flat leaf parsley for garnish

Peel and chop a butternut squash into ½” pieces. You will need 4 cups worth, (this may only take a ½ a squash.) Set aside squash pieces. Fill a large pot with salted water, and bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the bacon into ½” pieces. Add the bacon to a large (preferably non-stick pan). Cook it over medium heat until all of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it drain on a napkin. Add the shallots to the bacon fat and sweat the shallots over medium heat until they are soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash and the thyme, and toss to coat with the shallots and fat. Add the white wine to the pan and let the squash simmer in the wine until tender, about 15-20 minutes. When the squash has 10 minutes left, add the mushrooms to the pan. This is also the time to put the pasta into the boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about a ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the large sauté pan and toss the pasta with all the mushrooms and squash. If it seems dry, add the reserved pasta water. Add the bacon and some minced parsley. Add freshly grated parmesan and stir to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Heather Christo, October 6, 2010