Gurgly Bellies!/Pumpkin Pancetta Pasta

Welcome to Feeding the Gurgly Bellies! This is a blog that I've started as a way of creating, and passing along, food memories.

This blog gets its name from a joke at my husband's expense several years ago. The hospital where he did his residency had a pager system that would somehow convert the spelling of your name to a pronunciation. Our last name looks much harder to say than it actually is, and the machine ending up totally butchering it and calling him "Gurgly." His fellow residents ran with it, saying "Paging Doctor Gurgly" whenever possible.

Since this blog is focused on the food I buy, prepare, and otherwise feed my family...it shall be called Feeding the Gurgly Bellies. I hope you enjoy it.

Philosophy:

I have always tried to be a healthy eater. I have had prolonged stints of vegetarianism and short stints of veganism. Since becoming pregnant with my son two years ago, I have focused more than ever on healthy, balanced diet of quality ingredients (both vegetable and animal). Recently, I am trying to buy as much food as I can that is organic, and "higher welfare.". Fair trade, free range, eco-friendly. In short, astronomically expensive.

I am trying to balance shopping my conscience, our health, my taste and my budget (not always in that order). I am getting better at it, but honestly I still need some work. Part of this blog will include dollar-stretching ideas. Another focus will be child-friendly recipes, as I'm always in the market for a new way to feed the youngest Gurgly Belly.

As for today's recipe, here is a link to what I made for dinner tonight: Pumpkin Pancetta Pasta

I wish I had pictures but we tore into this one too fast.

This is a pasta dish almost entirely out of the pantry. It was tasty, balanced, and came together in a flash.

I should mention that for vegetarians, the pancetta could of course be omitted. Olive oil could substitute for the pancetta drippings, but I think butter would be better for the non-vegans. Butter and sage together are always a delight. Likewise, for a component with a little protein and an extra bit of heft, some toasted walnuts would probably work nicely. Of course, vegetable broth could be subbed for the chicken stock, too.

For the nutrition conscious:

Dairy free (without cheese) and egg free (as long as pasta is eggless)

For 1/6 the final recipe (standard 2 oz serving of pasta...smart taste is only 12 oz per box)

Calories: around 270

Fat: 6 grams (I am an über-nerd and weighed the fat I poured off. It was about 15 grams so I subtracted it from the total fat contributed by the pancetta)

Protein: 11.5 grams

Total carbs: 50 grams

Fiber: 9.5 grams