My first post!

I've been reading and loving all the recipes since Annie started this blog - but have never really had anything great to contribute. Until today! I woke up this morning feeling tired and a bit blech...the house is a real mess - the kitchen is filthy....I just couldn't be bothered really. So I took the boys to McDonalds for lunch. On the way home I dropped in to see a friend who was cooking her kids roast pork with all the trimmings including carrots grown in her garden, followed by home-made pavlova.

So ashamed was I of my bad nutrition that I vowed to make a home cooked evening meal for us all. I had left a copy of the latest Sainsbury's (a UK major supermarket) Magazine in the bathroom for anyone to peruse (I like reading material in the bathroom - sorry!). And I spied this recipe by the wonderful Jamie Oliver..... Now I love Jamie but most of his cooking has chili in and I can't do hot at all - not even mild. But this recipe seemed ideal so here it is

Squash and Pancetta Pasta by Jamie Oliver

1 large butternut squash
Olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
400g dried pasta (I used tricolore twists)
100ml Crème Fraiche – (I used half fat)
100g Mature Cheddar, grated
12 slices of pancetta
salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat Oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6.
2. Peel the squash, halve and deseed. Chop into medium sized chunks
3. Put a pan on a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and gently fry the garlic till it turns brown
4. Add the squash and a small glass of water. Cover with a lid and keep cooking on a medium heat until the squash has softened. Uncover and boil until the liquid around the squash has almost completely reduced down. (If you have fresh herbs in your garden like sage or thyme you can add a few leaves to the squash as it cooks down – it adds a wonderful herby flavour to the finished dish).
5. Remove from the heat, mash the squash and season with salt and pepper
6. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions, then drain. Toss the pasta in a bowl with the mashed squash and crème fraiche, so everything mixes together evenly.
7. Stir in most of your grated cheddar cheese, season well with salt and pepper and spoon the whole lot into a large baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the pasta and then top with pancetta
8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbling, and the pancetta is golden brown and crispy.

I meant to take pictures like other talented chefs but forgot at the beginning so here are some I did remember

Here is my simmering squash - I added some thyme to it.

Here is the pasta before adding the squash - just with creme fraiche...
Pre-ovenPost oven!It really is delicious. Slightly sweet with the garlicy creamy sauce and the salty pancetta. Truly yummy. The weather here today is grey and overcast and this is good comfort food that isn't too ruinous.

So there's my first Kitchen Mirror post! I'll try to do more!

(ps - hope the UK names for things and measurements aren't different to US.....)