Ingredients: Serves 4
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 20 whole, fresh sage leaves
- 2lb pumpkin (or butternut squash), cut into small chunks
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
- ½ tsp chilli flakes – or how spicy you want it (if for children, maybe omit this)
- 400ml vegetable stock
- Salt & pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon, zest of ½ lemon
- 12 ounces linguine / fettuccine (or any pasta you like – gnocchi works well!)
- Parmesan or Pecorino
Method:
- Add your diced pumpkin to a pan with two whole garlic cloves and the vegetable broth, and leave to boil until the pumpkin is cooked through and liquid has reduced by half – 15 – 20 minutes.
- While this cooks, fry some sage leaves in butter then set aside to crispen up.
- Once the pumpkin is cooked, remove from the broth and place into a blender with the two cloves of garlic, juice and zest of half a lemon, 200ml of stock (what’s left), the chilli flakes, good pinch of salt and crack of pepper, and blend until smooth.
- Add to a pan and warm through gently, getting it to the consistency you like (we will add pasta water to thin it out, so a thicker sauce is best).
- At this stage you want to check the seasonings – does it need more lemon? Salt and pepper? Spice? You could also add a dash of cream.
- Take your parmesan or pecorino cheese and grate in a good handful.
- The sauce can now be stored until it’s ready to be used or to use immediately, get your pasta of choice boiling in a salted pan of water.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta to your sauce, stirring through pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Serve in bowls and top with crispy sage, and a dusting of parmesan.
- OPTION: Crisp up some prosciutto or pancetta in a pan and serve on top of the pasta.
