Butternut Squash Bacon Spaghetti

As the temperatures drop outside the two foods I find more and more enticing are bacon and pasta- neither are traditionally regarded as the most healthy ingredients. For the bacon, a dish like this is perfect because a little goes a long way and just a few pieces infuse the whole dish with its flavour, coming up in every bite. An extra flavourful variety like Tyrolean Speck (often labelled as Tiroler Bacon), with distinct juniper undertones and a longer curing time, is ideal. For the pasta there are so many whole grain options available now that have more fiber and minerals, making it a more nutritious option that does not affect blood sugar levels as drastically or lead the body into weight gain mode like simple refined carbohydrates can.No matter what I am cooking I try to sneak in a vegetable where possible and even the more indulgent dishes are no exception. Here butternut squash forms the base of the sauce and the end product is richly sweet, velvety and packed with vitamin A and fiber. Sage, onion and garlic add some extra flavours, making it taste more complex than it really is.
There has been some controversy over red and processed meat recently because the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer included processed meat in the Group 1 (carcinogenic) category and red meat in the Group 2 (probably carcinogenic) category on its newly released carcinogen ranking report. While this possible correlation has been known for some time, the report has sparked confusion and dramatic headlines around the world. The list also contains several chemicals we are exposed to regularly through cosmetics, cigarettes, alcohol, food colouring, sunlight and pollution. Not all exposure is equal however, it found that 50 g of processed meat per day increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 18 percent, while smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by 2,500 percent. These numbers do not take customized, individual risk assessment into account, there are many factors at play in developing diseases like cancer and isolating processed and red meats as a direct link is tricky and a bit overrated. Some other elements like aflatoxin found in peanuts and several grains and legumes and arsenic found in brown rice and brown rice syrup show how pervasive carcinogens are in our lives. At the end of the day I believe true health, mentally, emotionally and physically, comes through balance. Many of the foods we eat can be healthful or harmful depending on how they are prepared, olive oil for example is full of heart healthy unsaturated fats but if it is heated too high it becomes oxidized and harmful to us on a cellular level. While red meat (especially when cooked over really high heats and left with charring) and processed meats (especially lower quality options containing nitrates and/or nitrites) do have the potential to be harmful in large amounts and increase risk for certain types of cancers, they do still offer some nutrients. Also, stress is a huge risk factor for many diseases and becoming too obsessed with creating a perfectly healthy diet, is in itself not healthy for the whole person. When it comes to nutrition I like to read the studies performed on others and experiment on myself. I spent several years as a strict vegan and spent a small fortune on organic and natural cosmetics, textiles, candles and cleaning products. During that time I was not the epitome of health, I was very pale, had dark circles under my eyes, brittle nails and was often sick- all signs of various nutrient deficiencies. While I still eat mostly plants most of the time and get sucked into natural products (many of them are misleading and contain some of the chemicals on IARC’s list of carcinogens), letting go of the extremes has left me happier and healthier. As someone who wants to lead a long and healthy life, but also wants to enjoy it, I will continue to have bacon on occasion.
There are two ways to make sure the pasta is fully cooked. The first is simply to taste a piece of it and ensure that it is al dente, easy to bite through but still a bit firm, not completely soft. The second, more scientific way, is to throw a piece against the wall and if it sticks it is ready, if it falls down it needs another minute or two (just be careful that your aim is good enough to not start any food fights with bystanders).