Pumpkin & Chicken in a Creamy White Wine Sauce with Fettucine
300 grams of dried fettucine pasta
2 tablespoons of olive oil
250 grams of pumpkin, cut into small cubes
600 grams of diced chicken breast fillet
5 shortcut bacon rashers, chopped into bits
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 or 4 shallot stalks, chopped
2 teaspoons of crushed garlic
2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard
1/3 a cup of dry white wine
1/2 a cup of chicken stock
3/4 of a cup of thickened cream
1/4 of a cup of chopped parsley
50 grams or so of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
Roast the pumpkin in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes
While the pumpkin is roasting, get all the other ingredients ready
Cook the pasta as per directions until tender, drain and return to pan, cover to keep warm
Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium/high heat
Cook the chicken in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until browned all over, transfer to a bowl
Heat the remaining oil in the frypan
Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until golden
Add the onion, garlic and mustard
Cook, stirring, for about a minute or until fragrant
Add the wine and simmer until reduced by about half
Return the chicken to the frypan and stir to coat
Stir in the stock and bring to the boil then simmer on low for 10 minutes
Add the cream, season with salt and pepper then simmer for 5 minutes
Add the roasted pumpkin, parsley, spinach and shallots
Simmer for a few minutes or until spinach is just wilted
Stir the fettucine through and serve with crusty bread
**Hint - if you want more sauce to go with the pasta, add a little more cream
when you add the cooked fettucine and stir through until warmed**