High Protein Creamy Squash Bucatini With Wilted Cavolo Nero & Crispy Tempeh 'Pancetta'

Cooking instructions

Before you start, take out all the ingredients for this recipe (see picture above) and rinse any raw grains, herbs or vegetables.

STEP 1

Boil your kettle and take out a large saucepan and a frying pan. Fill your saucepan with boiling water, add salt and place it over a medium-high heat.

STEP 2

Remove the hardy stems from the cavolo nero and slice the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Boil the cavolo nero until softened and vibrant green, around 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then add bucatini pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, around 9-10 minutes. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

STEP 3

Dice the tempeh into small cubes, about 1 cm x 1 cm. Place your frying pan over high heat and add a generous glug of olive oil. Fry the tempeh cubes until all sides are golden and crispy, around 7-10 minutes. Add the herby 'pancetta' marinade and toss well to ensure all the tempeh is coated and the marinade starts to char slightly, around 1 minute.

STEP 4

Place the saucepan you used for the pasta back over medium heat and add the creamy squash sauce. Warm through for a few minutes, then add the cooked bucatini and cavolo nero back in and stir to combine. Add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

STEP 5

To serve, divide the creamy squash bucatini between serving bowls and top with the tempeh 'pancetta'. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and finish with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil. Enjoy!