Creamy Pasta with Butternut Squash and Mascarpone Cheese

A delicious combination of sweet butternut squash, creamy mascarpone cheese, crispy crumbled bacon, and sage infused butter sauce, makes this pasta worth a try!

This pasta has it all: a balanced, nutrient-rich dish that will make you feel happy and satisfied.
It has sweet and nutty butternut squash, which is a great source of vitamin C, fibers, magnesium and potassium. It has all the calcium and proteins that you need, from the mascarpone and the parmesan cheese. And the carbs and fibers form the pasta.
And then, there is bacon. Sinfully crispy bacon.
You can always make this pasta without it. But, what can I say? Dinner should not only be wholesome and balanced, but also fun and tempting. And bacon is an amazing addition to the taste.  The sweet and rich flavors of the squash and cheese is really only complete with the crunchy and smoky  aroma of the bacon.
And note, this recipe is fast and quite easy. A bowl of this pasta will leave you full and happy, so make sure to add it to your list of one-dish dinner recipes.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 1 lb (450 gr) of butternut squash, cleaned, peeled and cubed
• 5-6 leaves of sage
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 4 oz (110 gr) of mascarpone cheese
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 slices of bacon, thick cut (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 12 oz (340 gr) of pasta, I used Barilla casarecce pasta

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel, clean and cut in cubes the butternut squash. As soon as the water boils, cook the squash for about 5 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the sage. After the 5 minutes remove the squash from the water. Don't throw away the water - you will use it to cook the pasta! Add the squash to the skillet and saute' for another 5-10 minutes until soft.

3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, using the same water you cooked the squash in. And cook the bacon in a separate pan until crispy. Cut the bacon in pieces.

4. Mash some of the squash with a fork, and add the mascarpone to the skillet. Add several tablespoons (a few at the time) of the boiling water to help the cheese melt, and make a creamy sauce. Adjust with salt if necessary.

5. Drain the pasta and toss in the skillet with the mascarpone and squash sauce, adding the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.

Serve immediately with crumbled crispy bacon on top. Enjoy! 

Nutella and Coconut Pralines

You won't believe how quick and easy is to prepare this no-bake dessert. 

Deliciously nutty and chocolaty. And look at the list, only 4 ingredients!!

Last night I made the fettuccine with mascarpone and prosciutto for dinner. If you haven't tried it yet, it's really fast, easy and delicious! For that recipe I only used half of the mascarpone cheese I bought, so today I wanted to finish the rest of the container before it spoils. And here is what I did:  I mixed the mascarpone with some crumbled cookies, a bit of shredded coconut and some delicious nutella, and voila': dessert for tonight is ready!!
You will see that this recipe is similar to the other coconut pralines I've already posted. At least the finished product looks the same. But today's recipe uses mascarpone cheese and nutella. While the other pralines are made with ricotta cheese and cocoa. Both deliciously good. These are probably my favorite though, a little sweeter, nutty and chocolaty. And you can really taste the nutella. As you might know: I adore nutella! I can eat it with anything: spread on bread or crackers, on top of crepes or pancakes, sprinkled over ice-cream or yogurt... or just plain nutella. All by itself! Sure, why not?!?
My only mistake today: I have not made enough of these pralines. So I will have to run out to the store and buy some more mascarpone and prepare another batch :-)
Ingredients: to make about 16 pralines                Printable Recipe

• 3 oz (85 gr) of cookies (10 petit beurre cookies or similar)
• 8 oz (113 gr) of mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons of nutella
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill

Directions:
Step 1: Crumble the cookies, using a food processor or, like I did, by placing the cookies in a ziplock bag and crushing them, using a cup, a rolling pin... anything works really!

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the crumbled cookies, the mascarpone cheese, the nutella and 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. We will use the rest of the coconut in the next step.

Step 3: Roll small balls (about 1 tablespoon each) with your hand and roll them around in the shredded coconut.

Let chill for one hour or more. I doubt it, but if there are any leftovers, remember to store them in the refrigerator.

Enjoy :-)

Fettuccine Pasta with Prosciutto and Mascarpone Cheese

Deliciously creamy and savory fettuccine pasta with mascarpone cheese and prosciutto.

Here is another of my favorite, super easy recipe that I'm sure, once you try it, will end up in your list of best-loved, Italian dishes, ready in 30 minutes or less. And in this case, depending on which pasta you choose, it can take as little as 15 minutes. Really!! The De Cecco egg fettuccine I used only take 5 minutes to cook. So, it's just a matter of boiling the water, and while the pasta cooks, your sauce will be ready.
This pasta is not only great for a last-minute meal at home, but also perfect for a fancier dinner party among friends. Your guests will be impressed by the choice of selected, delicate and oh-so Italian ingredients. You can't go wrong with prosciutto and mascarpone cheese. Make sure, though, you don't tell your guests that it's so easy to make! It's our secret :)  Buon appetito!

Ingredients, 4 servings:

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• about 4 oz of prosciutto
• 4 oz (half package) of mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• freshly grated black pepper
• 1/4 cup of walnut (optional)
• salt
• 8.8 oz (1 package) of Egg Fettuccine, I used DeCecco

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Directions:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine when it boils.
Step 2: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the prosciutto cut in strips, and let simmer for a minute.

Step 3: Add the mascarpone cheese with a couple of tablespoons of  hot water (from the pot where the pasta is cooking). Decrease the flame to low, and stir in the mascarpone cheese until melted and soft. Add some freshly grated pepper.

Step 4: Drain the fettuccine pasta and toss it in the skillet. Mix well, adding the Parmesan cheese.

Top with walnuts cut in small pieces if you like. Serve immediately. Enjoy!