Farfalle Pasta with Cheats Alfredo Sauce and Cherry Tomato Cucumber Salad

Steps

1. a large pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Cook pasta in pot of boiling water for about 12 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until just tender. In final 5 minutes of cook time, add butternut and cook until soft. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. While pasta cooks, prepare the alfredo sauce. Melt butter in a pot on medium heat and fry onion for about 3€ minutes, or until soft. Add cream cheese and garlic, and stir until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Add milk to Alfredo sauce, a third at a time, stirring between additions until incorporated. Stir through cheese until melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. While sauce simmers, prepare the salad. Cut cherry tomatoes in half; dice cucumber 2cm; place all in a bowl with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Toss pasta and butternut with alfredo sauce, capsicum and silverbeet. Add reserved cooking water if the pasta and Alfredo sauce is too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Divide pasta with alfredo sauce between bowls. Garnish with cheese, basil (if desired) and serve salad on the side.