Pasta with Parsnip and Bacon

Yield: 2 – 3 servings

Parsnips add a certain sweetness to a cozy pasta dish thick with cream and bacon.

Ingredients

• 3 medium parsnips; about 450 grams, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• salt
• black pepper, freshly ground, as needed
• 225 grams dried farfalle pasta
• 125 grams bacon, diced
• 1 medium leek, thinly sliced; Ulrike: 100 grams spring onions, prepared weight
• 200 ml cream; I used coffee cream 12% fat
• 50 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 205°C/400 °F . Toss parsnips with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until parsnips are golden and tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until 1 minute before it’s al dente. Drain.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
4. Return skillet to heat and add leeks. Cook in remaining bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cooked bacon. Simmer mixture until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Stir in pasta, parsnips and cheese. Simmer until heated through and cheese is melted, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; toss with parsley. Serve drizzled with olive oil, with plenty of black pepper on top.

You can roast the parsnips several hours ahead, they’ll be fine at room temperature.
total time: 45 minutes
prepararion time: 15 minutes
cooking/baking time: 5 minutes