- Prep time
- 10
- Cook time
- 50
- Skill level
- Low
- Serves
- 4
This is the type of recipe I like to make when it's a wintry night, and all I fancy doing is popping on a cosy jumper and curling up on the couch with a bowl of pasta.
The sauce contains just a handful of ingredients: pumpkin, garlic and onion, which you roast until sweet and golden; plus crème fraîche for its smooth, luscious tang. Because of this, the overall flavour of the dish will be greatly improved by using the best quality produce available to you.
You can play around with toppings here. Pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs) or toasted pine nuts are lovely if you're after a bit of crunch. Grilled lemony prawns are another option, if you fancy going to the effort.
Mostly I cook a handful of sage leaves in butter or ghee, or simply add a sprinkle of finely grated parmesan cheese, before heading to the couch — bowl and remote in hand. Simple, good comfort.
Tips:
- Crème fraîche substitutions: Crème fraîche has a lovely tang to it, that will cut through some of the sweetness and richness of the roasted pumpkin, onion and garlic. If you wish to use a substitute you might play around with natural yoghurt, sour cream or cream with a little lemon juice added — it will be different but worth a go.
- Pasta options: Wide, long, fresh pasta noodles work particularly well here, such as fettuccine found in specialty stores or the fridge section of the supermarket. You could also use dried fettuccine made with egg. Dried penne or rigatoni are also good options.
- Take care when browning butter: Using butter to cook the sage leaves will cause the butter to brown and produce a beautiful, rich flavour. However, be careful once you see brown solids forming in the pan, as the butter can burn quickly (to avoid this, watch the pot closely and pour the browned butter into a bowl to cool). If using ghee, it won't brown, but will still taste lovely and rich.
- This recipe can easily be halved to serve two: Keep in mind you may struggle to get a smooth, blended sauce if cutting the recipe down and using a large food processor. Hence, it may be worth making the whole sauce recipe and using leftovers in a variety of ways — from once again stirring through hot pasta, to spreading on bread when making salad sandwiches, to folding through scrambled eggs.
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Ingredients
Method
- 1.Preheat the oven to 180˚C and put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
- 2.Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, along with the garlic and onion halves. Place the garlic and onion in the middle of the tray, as the food closest to the perimeter will cook faster. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and drizzle generously with olive oil, massaging the oil and salt into the vegetables.
- 3.Roast the vegetables in the oven for 15–20 minutes, before removing the tray and carefully flipping the vegetables to ensure even cooking. Check on the garlic and remove any pieces that are golden (the timing will be will depend on the size of your cloves).
- 4.Return the tray to the oven for a further 15–20 minutes, checking periodically to ensure the garlic and onion don't burn, and removing any pieces that are done. You want the pumpkin to be beautifully golden and sweet, as undercooked pumpkin will greatly impact the flavour of the sauce. Once done, set the tray aside to cool slightly.
- 5.Carefully remove the garlic cloves from their skins and add them to a mini food processor along with the pumpkin and onion. Add the crème fraîche and a little freshly cracked black pepper, then blitz until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
- 6.To cook the sage leaves, heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and hot add the sage leaves along with a sprinkle of salt. Cook the sage until crispy, and keep a watchful eye to make sure you don't burn the butter (see tips above). Use tongs to remove the sage leaves to paper towel, and pour the browned butter into a small bowl to stop the cooking process.
- 7.Add salt to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water then drain the pasta, returning it to the pot. Pour over the pumpkin sauce, adding a splash of pasta cooking water if necessary to help bring the sauce and pasta together (I rarely need to do this, especially when using fresh pasta). Stir the pasta well to coat the noodles in the sauce, then serve into bowls, topping with the crispy sage leaves and a drizzle of browned butter.