BUTTERNUT ALFREDO

I bought 7 kg of butternut for R 39.00 at Lynnpark (Pretoria). It worked out to be R 5.60 for 1 kg and at Woolworths you will pay R 15.99 for 1 kg… Come on guys, support the locals and buy in bulk. There is so much you can do with butternut; cake, muffins, cookies, fritters, salads, smoothies, and the list goes on and on. Luckily a butternut last a while so you can use Pinterest and Instagram to assist you with ideas. Usually if I buy in bulk I will share or buy with friends and family, but if you are hosting that will not even be necessary.

I used this recipe and shared it at my first workshop last year. I know I have to create more time and schedule another workshop, at least I had a baby and he is alive and well, so I don’t feel that bad that my workshops were non-existent the last few months 🙂 …

Nevertheless this recipe is perfect for when you have to host a few people and it is really something different that’s not usually on the menu.

CASUAL HOME COOKING WORKSHOPS – If you are a local and in Pretoria please stay tuned and subscribe so that you will know when the next workshop will be. All workshops will include demos and tips of 2 recipes and then enjoying the food as well. We are making, preparing, learning and eating together. It will be an evening full of ideas, tips and stunning flavors.

INSTRUCTIONS

THE CREAMY BUTTERNUT

You will know that if you have ever had to cut a raw butternut into cubes that it is a real mission. That is why most people buy butternut cubes in packages that Woolworths, Spar & Checkers packed for you. So when buying in bulk and you are like me and don’t have the patience or the time to cut the butternut into cubes, you can just slice the butternut in half. After the oven did the work for you, you can peel and cut the butternut.

Slice the butternut in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Place the butternut into an oven tray and drizzle it with a bit of canola oil. Place thyme leaves on the butternut and put it in the oven (180’C) for 30 – 45 minutes until the butternut are soft and ready.

In the meanwhile add the butter, onion and garlic in a large frying pan and stir until the onions are lightly soft. Fry the cooked butternut with the caramelized onions for 1 minute only so that the butternut can absorb the onion, butter and garlic flavors.

Let it cool down for 3-5 minutes and place the butternut and onion mix into a large food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, milk and chicken broth when the mixture is in the blender and blend until the butternut is creamy and smooth. Heat the mixture again if necessary before folding into the pasta.

Your butternut sauce might be a too much to mix with your pasta and the mixture is very rich. I would recommend that you add the amount of creamy butternut to your pasta that you would prefer best. You don’t want a butternut soup and you also don’t want pasta without enough sauce, so use your judgement. If you want to you can make a double portion of the creamy butternut sauce and freeze the other half for next time. It can also be a puree that you can serve with a pork or fillet dish.

Usually I make my own chicken broth with leftover chicken bones. If I buy stock I always prefer Ina Paarman’s chicken stock (and then only add water). It is by far the best stock with the most flavor available to buy at our stores.

Remember that tahini makes anything very smooth and add full flavors. I would recommend not leaving out the tahini as this creamy mixture needs that kick that tahini offers.

THE PASTA

We are making an Alfredo so you have to use linguine. You can use gluten free, whole wheat or whatever linguine you would prefer. Here is the key thing when preparing store bought pasta – DO NOT OVER COOK YOUR PASTA. Place pasta into boiling water and cook for 8 minutes only (expect if your gluten free pasta package says otherwise). Rather keep your pasta a bit under cooked as you are going to fold your pasta into a warm creamy mixture and the cooking of the pasta will proceed. If you over cook your pasta, your mixture is going to be all mushy…

THE HAZELNUT & BACON TOPPING

Place Bacon into the oven (if you have an oven big enough you can place the bacon into the oven when you put the butternut into the oven). Don’t drizzle the bacon with oil. Place it as is into the oven and bake for 30 – 50 minutes until brown and very crisp. You can put a tray on top of the bacon if you don’t have time. Depending on the bacon and on your oven the duration can differ. I prefer to place it into the oven first thing so that the oven can do the work and whilst keeping an eye on it the bacon can become very crisp.

Toast the hazelnuts in a pan over a low heat until lightly colored. Play with the hazelnuts and taste. They are ready when you get a ‘Nutella’ type of flavor. Remove the skins with your hands.

Pulse and blend the bacon together with the hazelnuts in a small food processor until you have this crispy topping. Don’t blend too much and only pulse a few times.