“Rich and creamy, this could easily become a new favourite at home. It’s also a great way of getting a big portion of veg into your family without them even noticing!” declares Tom Kerridge, whose book, Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start, aims to get people to fall back in love with cooking from scratch.
“It’s all about the toppings: Crunchy seeds and breadcrumbs, sweet chunks of butternut squash, and nuggets of acidity from the sun-blushed tomatoes.”
This dish can be frozen and eaten later in the week, too.
Butternut squash pasta bake
Equipment
- Large roasting tray
- Blender
- Large saucepan
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 kg butternut squash cut into chunks (about 2cm)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g macaroni
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese sauce
- 60 g butter
- 60 g plain flour
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 tbsp liquid aminos
- 60 g Parmesan finely grated
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg freshly grated
For the topping
- A handful of sage leaves
- 40 g sun-blushed tomatoes roughly chopped
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp pumpkin oil (or use olive oil)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Line a large roasting tray with baking parchment.
- Place the squash in the roasting tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook on the top shelf of the oven for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender and browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly for a couple of minutes. (Keep the oven on.)
- Tip three-quarters of the roasted squash into a blender and blitz to a purée; set the rest aside.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook until almost al dente (two to three minutes less than the time suggested on the packet).
- Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute, then whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens slightly. Lower the heat and add the liquid aminos, Parmesan and nutmeg. Stir until the cheese has melted, then stir through the squash purée to make a rich, smooth sauce. Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the macaroni, add to the sauce and stir well. Tip into a large, deep baking dish, about 25 x 30cm. Scatter over the rest of the roasted squash, the sage, sun-blushed tomatoes and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with the oil. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, turning on the oven grill at the same time. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Take out the dish, scatter the pumpkin seeds evenly over the surface and return to the oven for five minutes or until the topping is golden. Serve at once, with a green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start by Tom Kerridge is published by Bloomsbury Absolute.
How to make Tom Kerridge’s courgette and cardamom cake
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