This is a warming bake to serve in the colder part of the year, with sweet pumpkin, cheese and crispy Brussels sprouts.
SERVES 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium pumpkin (600g/1¼lb), peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- 2 tsp olive oil, divided
- 350g (12oz) penne pasta
- ½ x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 150g (5¼oz) grated cheddar
- 300ml (10½fl oz) good-quality vegetable stock
- 50g (1¾oz) fresh breadcrumbs
- 200g (7oz) Brussels sprouts, halved or shredded
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Small handful fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the pumpkin in a roasting tin with 1 tsp of the olive oil, season well, then roast for 30 minutes. Leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water following the pack instructions. Drain, reserving 100ml (3½fl oz) of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan, stir in a drizzle of oil, then set aside.
- Mash the roasted pumpkin with the cannellini beans, then stir in 100g (3½oz) of the cheese, the reserved cooking water and the stock. Stir the mixture into the pasta, adding a splash more stock or milk to loosen, if needed.
- Spoon all the mixture into a medium baking dish.
- Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over the pasta and pop back into the oven for 10 minutes.
- Heat a little oil in a heavy-based frying pan and stir-fry the Brussels sprouts for 2-3 minutes until beginning to char. Add the garlic and sage, then
fry for one minute more. Spoon the sprouts over the finished pasta dish and serve.
