Butternut squash, bacon and parmesan tarts

It’s Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week and I was challenged along with some fellow food bloggers by the folks at Red Tractor to come up with a recipe using bacon.

I came up with a delicious set of four puff pastry tarts topped with roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon and nutty parmesan – a really great flavour combination.

It made a tasty lunch and thanks to my faithful friend ready-made puff pastry, it was pretty darned easy to make.

Butternut squash, bacon and parmesan tarts
(makes 4)

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried sage
6 rashers of Free Range Dry Cure Unsmoked Back Bacon
150ml half fat creme fraiche
1 tsp dijon mustard
375g packet ready rolled puff pastry
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
A little milk or beaten egg to glaze

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the cubes of butternut squash in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil, scatter with dried sage and then give it all a good shake to ensure it’s coated. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside but leave the oven on.

2. Meanwhile fry the bacon in a pan until it starts to crisp up, remove from heat and then drain on kitchen paper and snip into strips and set aside.

3. In a little pot mix the crème fraiche with the mustard, together with some freshly cracked black pepper.

4. Unroll the puff pastry onto a chopping board and cut into quarters. Transfer to a couple of lined baking sheets then fold over the edges to create a 1cm border all the way around each quarter.

5. Divide the creme fraiche mixture between each tart and using a knife to spread an even layer within the borders.

6. Dot each tart with the roasted cubes of butternut squash and cooked bacon then scatter liberally with freshly grated parmesan.

7. Brush the borders of the tarts with milk or beaten egg to glaze and then cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve with a green leaf salad or fresh spinach leaves.

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