Roasted Butternut and Sage Pasta

Ingredients

• Butternut squash 1 x 1kg squash
• Olive oil 3 tbsp
• Garlic cloves 3, crushed
• Fresh sage leaves 15-20
• Dried pasta (e.g., penne or fusilli) 350g
• Hot vegetable stock 200ml
• Full-fat cream cheese 100g
• Vegetarian hard cheese (e.g., vegetarian Parmesan-style) 50g, grated
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Optional: Chilli flakes pinch

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas Mark 6). Peel the butternut squash, deseed it, and cut into bite-sized cubes. Place the cubes on a baking tray.
2. Drizzle the squash with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, add the crushed garlic, most of the sage leaves (tear any larger ones), salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until tender and lightly caramelised, turning halfway.
3. While the squash is roasting, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving about 100ml of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the warm pan.
5. Add the roasted butternut squash (reserve a few cubes for garnish if desired), hot vegetable stock, cream cheese, grated vegetarian hard cheese, and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pasta. Add a pinch of chilli flakes if using.
6. Stir everything together over low heat until the cream cheese and stock have created a smooth, creamy sauce that coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with extra sage leaves and reserved squash cubes if you like.