Roasted Pumpkin & Ricotta Pasta
A rich & creamy roasted pumpkin & ricotta sauce served with al dente pasta, crispy sage leaves & grated parmesan. This is a simple midweek dinner & is a great way to use seasonal vegetables.
Servings: 4 People
Equipment
- Roasting Tray
- Jug Blender
- Microplane/Grater
- Large Saucepan
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin Sauce
- 500 g Pumpkin Or Butternut Squash (Prepped Weight - See Notes)
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Brown Onions
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 250 g Ricotta
- 200 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 50 g Parmesan (Grated, Plus Extra To Serve)
Crispy Sage
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 10 g Picked Sage Leaves
To Serve
- 400 g Dried Pasta (See Notes)
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Roasted Pumpkin Sauce
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
- Peel the pumpkin/squash, scoop out any seeds the chop the flesh into 1" chunks. You'll need 500 grams of diced pumpkin.
- Peel the onions then dice them so that they're roughly the same size as the pumpkin. Add both the pumpkin & onion onto a baking tray, along with garlic cloves then drizzle over the veg oil.
- Season the veg with salt & pepper, toss to combine then roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Make sure to stir the veg every 15 minutes or so.
- Next, top the veg with the tomato paste, toss to coat then roast for another 4-5 minutes to cook the tomato paste.
- Once everything is cooked, transfer the veg into a jug blender then add in the ricotta & blend into a smooth puree.
- Next, gradually add in the chicken stock whilst blending until you get a thick sauce then blend in the lemon juice, as well as salt & pepper to taste.The sauce should have the consistency of a thick cheese sauce (think mac & cheese!).
Crispy Sage
- Set a small frying pan over a medium heat, add in the veg oil then leave to warm up for a minute or two.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the sage leaves then fry for 1-2 minutes until crisp, agitating frequently.The sage should start sizzling as soon as you add it into the oil.
- Transfer the fried sage to a plate lined with kitchen paper then leave to drain until needed.I like to make the crispy sage whilst the sauce cooks, so they're both ready at the same time.
To Serve
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil over a high heat then add in the pasta & cook per the package instructions. It should be al dente!
- Whilst the pasta cooks, tip the sauce into a large saucepan then set over a low heat, to warm through.
- Once warm, add the grated parmesan to the pumpkin sauce, stirring to melt. Keep the sauce warm over a very gentle heat & don't let it get too hot!
- Once the pasta is cooked, use a pair of tongs to transfer it into the sauce.If you're using smaller type pasta (like penne), a slotted spoon will work better than a pair of tongs.
- Add a ladle full of the pasta water into the sauce then stir gently to coat the pasta. If the sauce is still a bit thick, add in more pasta water to adjust the consistency.
- Give the pasta a final taste, to check the seasoning then add in more salt & pepper if needed.
- To serve, transfer the pasta into bowls then topped with grated parmesan, the crispy sage, a drizzle of olive oil & some freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
1. To Cook On An Aga - Cook the pumpkin in the roasting oven, on the second from bottom set of runners. Cook the pasta on the boiling plate & warm the sauce on the simmering plate.
2. Pumpkin - The sauce can be made with pumpkin or butternut squash. The weight stated in the recipe is the prepped weight, so when the pumpkin has been peeled & chopped into chunks.
3. Pasta - I used mafaldine pasta but feel free to use whatever type you like! You could also use fresh pasta but you'll need to use 600g.
4. Sage - If you're not a fan of sage, feel free to leave it out! You can also fry the sage a couple of days ahead of time & store it in an airtight container.
5. Leftovers - Any leftover pasta (in sauce) should be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within a day or two. To reheat, warm the pasta up in a pan with a splash of water, to adjust the consistency of the sauce.