Creamy Hokkaido pumpkin and bacon sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 pumpkin(s), (Hokkaido)
• 150 g bacon
• 1 large onion(s)
• some olive oil, for frying
• some butter, for frying
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 shot of red wine
• 100 ml cream
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• n. B. sugar
• n. B. Salt
• n. B. Pfeffer
• e.g. paprika powder
• e.g. Parmesan

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Ideal with pasta and in cold seasons

Cut the Hokkaido pumpkin into relatively small pieces. The pieces should be evenly sized to ensure consistent cooking time. Finely dice the onions and finely slice or dice the bacon—whichever you prefer. Heat the butter and a dash of olive oil in a saucepan. The olive oil prevents the butter from burning too quickly. Now add the bacon and onions to the pan and fry until crisp. Before the onions or butter burn, reduce the heat slightly and add the diced pumpkin. Fry until the ingredients begin to leave a roasted aroma on the bottom of the pan, and the pan develops light brown spots. Now add the mustard, tomato paste, and paprika and stir thoroughly again. The tomato paste and paprika release wonderful aromas when roasted, so let the bottom of the pan brown (not black). Increase the heat again and shortly after, deglaze with the wine. Add only enough wine until the brown residue at the bottom of the pan has completely dissolved. Now add the vegetable stock, cream, and two crushed garlic cloves and stir gently. Reduce the heat considerably and simmer gently. How long depends on your preference for the pumpkin. To ensure it still has a slight bite, it needs about 10-12 minutes. If the sauce is too runny, you can add a little cornstarch. Once the pumpkin is cooked, turn off the heat and only then add the seasoning. Be careful with the salt, as the bacon already has a high salt content. The same goes for the sugar, as the pumpkin already adds a sweetness to the sauce. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese over the finished dish. Schupfnudeln (small dumplings) or tagliatelle go particularly well with this dish.