Butternut Squash Carbonara

We've been in need of a good squash recipe since my friend with a garden gave us some.  I saw this on Pinterest and knew we had to give it a go.  Consensus:  yummm.  To make it a little more healthy we only used 3 strips of bacon instead of 6, which was plenty and we used whole milk instead of cream- which was just fine.  Also, we added a zucchini.  It had a great flavor without feeling too heavy like most carbonaras would.  And we used a ton of squash, I'm thinking too much and when I make this again I want to cut them up into smaller pieces (no small feat) because these were a little too big.  Also, as Rich pointed out, I think all the squash made the dish a little too starchy, but I did like that we had more squash than noodles.  I ranked this a 8/10 and Rich ranked it a 6/10.

source:  http://www.closetcooking.com/2010/01/butternut-squash-carbonara.html

Butternut Squash Carbonara

(makes 2 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon (cut into 1 inch slices)
2 cups squash (cut into small pieces)
1/2 pound pasta
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon sage (chopped)
pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

Directions:
1. Start boiling some water in a large pot to cook the pasta.
2. Cook the bacon in a pan, set aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.
3. Add the squash to the pan, toss to coat in the bacon grease and saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed on the package.
5. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolk, heavy cream and parmigiano reggiano in a bowl.
6. Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.
7. Add the garlic, sage and pepper to the squash and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
8. Add the pasta to the pan and toss.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and wait for the sizzling to stop.
10. Add the egg mixture and toss to coat.
11. Add a bit of the pasta water and toss to mix and coat.
12. Garnish with more sage & serve.