>Heavenly Pasta with Bacon, Shiitake Mushrooms, Squash, and Scallions

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I believe that everything happens for a reason, even overwhelming, paralyzing attacks of laziness.

I had great cooking plans for the week, ambitious plans for a great cooking project with the kids. I was going to do a homemade ravioli bar where everyone could pick their filling and make their own ravioli. The kids would gravitate towards simpler fillings like Parmesan or ground chicken, and Steve and I would enjoy roasted butternut squash, caramelized scallions, and candied bacon. As homemade ravioli cook in a few minutes, the entire family would quickly be sitting eating delicious homemade pasta customized to their liking. And the kids were going to get a real kick out of operating the pasta roller. 

But then the clouds rolled in on Tuesday, everything seemed so gray and wet, and by 6PM, I felt completely drained. I stood at the counter, staring into the flour canister, simply unable to muster the energy to begin kneading the pasta dough.

And so I grabbed a huge mental marker and crossed out the words homemade ravioli from my imaginary menu and scribbled the words pasta instead. Then I grabbed a box of spaghetti from the pantry, and radically simplified dinner.

The kids were thrilled with their spaghetti with butter and sprinkled Parmesan. But Steve and I were the real winners. Every bite of our impromptu pasta dish, which I humbly named Heavenly Pasta, was pure bliss in our mouths, an explosion of savory flavors, like a perfect bouquet. How can you go wrong with bacon, shiitake mushrooms, roasted butternut squash and scallions?

See, even frozen by an overwhelming laziness, genius can strike, and delicious, moan-inducing food results.

Heavenly Pasta
Ingredients
1/2 pack of spaghetti
2 cups of butternut squash in small dice
1/4 cups of olive oil
1/4 cups of maple syrup
1/2 package of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup of Marsala wine
4 tablespoons of salted butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pour the olive oil and maple syrup on the diced butternut squash and toss well to coat. Spread onto a cookie sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden and tender.
3. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta. Drain when ready and set aside.
4. While the pasta cooks, heat a large frying pan on high flame.
5. Add bacon and scallions to pan and pan fry for 5 minutes, until curling but not browned.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms become tender and lightly browned.
7. Add the Marsala wine, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly evaporated.
8. Add the remaining butter and the roasted butternut squash. Cook for another 30 seconds to one minute, until the butter is melted.
9. Add to pasta and toss well. Serve immediately.