Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta Bake

• 1kgbutternut squash (1 medium), peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 4garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 15gsage (about 20 leaves)
• 1/2 tspchilli flakes
• 3 tbspolive oil
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 350gpenne or rigatoni
• 200gspinach
• 250gricotta
• 60gParmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese), finely grated
• 1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
• 1lemon, zested and juiced
• 70grocket
• 1 tbspextra virgin olive oil

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 200C fan. Tip the squash onto a large roasting tray with the garlic cloves, half the sage leaves, the chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Toss and spread out in one layer; crowded squash steams instead of browning. Roast for 30 minutes until tender and caramelised at the edges.
2. 2About 15 minutes before the squash is done, cook the penne in a large pan of well-salted boiling water for 9 minutes until it still has a firm bite; it finishes in the oven. Scoop out 300ml of the cooking water, then put the spinach in the colander and drain the pasta over it so the leaves wilt.
3. 3In a large baking dish (about 30 x 20cm), mix the ricotta, two-thirds of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, lemon zest, 200ml of the pasta water and a good grind of pepper into a loose sauce. It should look too thin; the pasta will drink it.
4. 4Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins into the sauce and mash it in. Add the pasta, spinach and half the squash and stir, crushing some of the squash so it colours the sauce and leaving the rest in chunks. Add more pasta water if it looks dry, then taste for salt.
5. 5Scatter the remaining squash over the top. Toss the rest of the sage leaves in the last tablespoon of olive oil and lay them on top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes until the top is golden, the sage leaves are crisp and the edges are bubbling.
6. 6Dress the rocket with the lemon juice, the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt just before serving. Serve the bake straight from the dish with the rocket alongside.

Per serving

kcal

762

protein

28.7g

fibre

11.6g

carbs

103.8g

fat

28.4g