Sorry folks, not mid - week cooking from me this week. I've been a bit busy finishing up with my old job, preparing to get ready for the next (I'm a little be nervous to be honest, but hopefully I will fit in, if not I can bake them all cakes and buy their love =P ).

Instead I give you a recipe from my boyfriend who whipped up this recipe one night with lots of leftovers he had lying around the house. It was an absolute taste sensation and could easily be adapted for a vegetarian palate.There is something about the mustard sauce that brings an added depth to the sauce, you won't be able to stop at one serve!

1. First, start off by cutting everything up. You want the pumpkin into smallish wedges. Doesn’t have to be neat since they will be mashed off anyway, but we want them to cook evenly. Bacon and Smoked chicken into bit size pieces.

2. Next, get the pumpkin cooking. I used the microwave (a bowl with a little water and a microwave slotted lid). You want the pumpkin very soft. Mashable soft. While the pumpkin is going along nicely in the microwave get your pan ready. Heat it up a little and chuck in your bacon. You want to render off the fat a little and also get some color on the bacon.

3. Once the pumpkin is done in the microwave, take it out and drain off the liquid. Add some salt and pepper and toss in bowl. Now, add in into the pan. Add some olive oil. Probably about a tablespoon and get mashing. Doesn’t have to be smooth, just saucy. Continue cooking off the pumpkin a little till the color darkens a little. Next, start adding in the Honey Mustard. Just a little at a time. Keep stirring it. You want to end up with a very thick sauce, or a runny mash, depending on how you think. Next, add in the smoked chicken and toss around to warm it through. Remember, smoked chicken is already cooked, so if you over cook it, it will turn to crap. Turn it off and let it rest.

4. Next, cook your pasta. I did beef tortellini’s, but I think spinach and ricotta would have gone a lot better. Once your pasta is cooked, drain it and put it back in the pot. Add some olive oil. Just to coat the pasta. Next, add in your rocket and parsley into the sauce and just give it a stir around. Next, add a little bit of the sauce into the pasta and stir. Continue this until you have a little left to put on top of your pasta. Service it up and eat.

If I had them I would have added pine nuts as well. This can be done when you are cooking off the bacon or at the very end as a garnish.

Also, this can easily be made into a vegetarian friendly dish. Obviously, take out the meat. Possibly add some chick peas to give it more body. Though, lessen the pumpkin off by a little.

In my opinion, this has real potential. Just from that base concept of pumpkin, mustard and rocket. Play around with it to suit your tastes!

Thanks to Nerdy Rob for this recipe.