Pumpkin Tagliatelle with Crispy Bacon and Grana Padano

To prepare the pumpkin tagliatelle with crispy bacon and Grana Padano, first cook the pumpkin in the oven at 350°F for about 50 minutes 1, or until well cooked 1. Once the pumpkin is cooked, scoop out the pulp with a spoon 2: you will need about 7 oz. Mash the pulp well with a fork 3.

Blend the puree with an immersion blender 4 until you get a smooth, homogeneous mixture without whole pieces 5. Now prepare the fresh pasta: in a bowl, combine the flour and pumpkin pulp 6.

Also add the egg yolks 7 and mix with the fork. Knead by hand first in the bowl 8 and then on the work surface until you get a dough ball 9.

Cover the dough with the bowl 10 and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Take the dough again and work it until it becomes smooth and homogeneous 11. Cover with plastic wrap 12 and let it rest for at least 30 minutes outside the fridge in a cool, dry place.

After the resting time, take the dough and cut a portion with the dough cutter 13, making sure to keep the remaining dough in the plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Flour the portion of dough and roll it out with the pasta machine starting from the widest thickness 14 to the narrowest 15. Occasionally sprinkle the dough lightly with flour, fold the two edges towards the center, and continue passing it between the rollers.

Once you get a thin sheet, place it on the lightly floured board and trim the ends with a dough cutter (or a knife) 16. Divide it into several parts to handle it more easily 17 and cut tagliatelle 1/4 inch wide using the appropriate roller of the pasta machine 18.

As you cut the pasta 19, place the tagliatelle on the board and sprinkle with a little semolina flour 20. While bringing water to a boil for the pasta, prepare the sauce: cut the bacon into strips 21.

Then cut it into small cubes 22. Place the bacon in a hot pan 23 and brown it well. When it's crispy and roasted 24, remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside.

Turn off the heat and add 2 ladles of boiling pasta water to the hot pan 25. Add the grated Grana Padano PDO 26 and stir off the heat to melt it well and prevent it from splitting 27.

Once the sauce is ready, season with black pepper and thyme to taste 28. At this point, cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water 29. Drain the pasta 30.

Transfer the tagliatelle to the pan, still off the heat 31, and toss everything to blend the sauce well. Finish the dish with crispy bacon and Grana Padano PDO flakes 32. Your pumpkin tagliatelle with crispy bacon and Grana Padano are ready to be served 33!