Butternut Squash Farfalle in a Bacon Béchamel Sauce

On a separate note... the new website design will be up early next week (fingers crossed), so check back October 4th for a.) a swanky new website facelift; and b.) a super sweet contest. The contest prize is pretty amazing, and by far, the best I've had on the site-- trust me, you do NOT want to miss it.

The butternut squash farfalle is DIVINE-- I'll be posting a tutorial on how to make you're own shortly, because I need to share this with you guys.

Ingredients:

6 cups butternut squash farfalle (or substitute any other pasta), cooked al dente.

1 cup cooked bacon, diced

3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from cooked bacon)

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

4 basil leaves, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely diced

4 cups of milk

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1.5 cups Bergeron or Gouda cheese, finely grated

For bacon bits:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425?F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and layout 7-10 bacon strips, and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, or until crispy.

2. Remove from the oven, and carefully drain fat?save it for the sauce. Once the bacon strips have cooled, dice them in 1cm pieces.

For the sauce:

1. In a saucepan, sauté mushrooms with 1 tbsp butter, on medium heat until cooked. ~5-7 minutes.

2. In a medium saucepan, warm milk, cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil over medium-low heat. *The longer the garlic and basil sit in the milk, the more flavor you?re sauce will have; make sure you stir it, milk can burn.

3. In a separate saucepan, heat remaining butter and bacon fat over medium heat. Add the flour, and stir until incorporated. Continue cooking until the mixture turns a golden color (think sandy beach).

4. Add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture, and whisk continually until smooth. To thicken the sauce, bring to a boil, and cook for 7.

5. While sauce is cooking, cook and drain pasta.

6. Add Bergeron (or Gouda) cheese, and bacon bits, and mushrooms to the sauce, stir until incorporated, and turn off heat. Sauce is ready when cheese fully melts; ~ 3 minutes.

7. Pour sauce over pasta, garnish, and serve. Voila. mMmm irresistible pasta.