Bigoli with pumpkin sauce, Monte Veronese cheese and crispy bacon

4 servings

Bigoli 350 gr.
Pumpkin 300 gr.
Bacon 100 gr.
Sliced bacon 70 gr.
Monte Veronese matured cheese 100 gr. (Or equivalent)
Onion
Parsley
Salt and pepper

Preparation

For the pumpkin sauce: shell and chop the pumpkin. Then finely chop the onion, put in a large pan, add half a glass of water. When the water is dry put in two or three laps of oil on the onion and let it cook gently for a couple of minutes. Then add the pumpkin pieces by taking heat over medium heat, add salt, pepper, a little parsley, a ladle of vegetable stock, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. If the pumpkin does not have absorbed the liquid briefly raise the heat to evaporate the excess, the sauce should be soft but not watery. Then break the pieces of pumpkin with a fork to form a sauce "rough", not too smooth. "Stir" the whole goal with half of the grated cheese.

Cut the bacon into small cubes and cook them in a hot frying pan without adding seasonings. After two or three minutes we'll have cooked and browned small pieces of bacon.

Heat a frying pan, and when it reaches a rather high temperature, place little slices of bacon. Cook 20 seconds per side. Drain the fat that will form and place them on a paper towel and allow to cool.

Cook bigoli in boiling salted water, then drain them and add them to pumpkin sauce. Combine the small cubes of crispy bacon mixing briefly.

Distribute bigoli in the plates decorating each plate with 2 or 3 slices of crispy bacon and season with remaining matured cheese, cut into small slivers.

Additional info:

Bigoli is a special kind of spaghetti, bigger then usual and made with eggs.

Monte Veronese is a cheese made in the mountain area near Verona. It's a tasty cheese produced in different aged versions: in this recipe has to been used the matured one. It could be substituted by Parmigiano cheese or other hard cheese.