Creamy Bacon & Roast Squash Spaghetti

While the squash is roasting, finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Zest the lemon (see ingredients list) to get a good pinch, then slice into wedges. Finely chop the parsley. Thinly slice the pear. Cut the bacon into 1cm pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, a small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the spaghetti to the saucepan of boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’, 10 minutes. Reserve some pasta water (1/4 cup for 2 people / 1/2 cup for 4 people), then drain the pasta and return to the saucepan.

TIP: 'Al dente' means the pasta is cooked through but still has a tiny bit of firmness in the middle.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the panko breadcrumbs (see ingredients list) and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and 1/2 the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the parsley and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook until golden, 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the light cooking cream, crumbled chicken stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people), 1/2 the baby spinach leaves and a pinch of pepper and cook until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently stir through the spaghetti, grated Parmesan cheese, roasted squash and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

TIP: If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen.