Monthly melt in the mouth recipe for you to try …
Cosy evenings call for comforting bowls of warm pasta and this roasted pumpkin, Colston Bassett Dairy Stilton and walnut combo is autumn on a plate.
Autumn Pasta with Blue Cheese and Nuts
Ingredients
1 pumpkin or autumn squash (about 1kg/2lb 4oz), peeled, deseeded and sliced
3–4 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salted butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
350g (12oz) pasta shapes, such as conchiglie or rigatoni
100g (3½oz) Colston Bassett Dairy Stilton
75g (3oz) walnuts, toasted and roughly crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
Step 2
Place the pumpkin on a large baking sheet with the thyme sprigs and toss in
the olive oil until all the pieces are coated. Season generously with salt and
pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until tender and caramelised at the
edges. Once cooked, keep warm.
Step 3
While the pumpkin cooks, place a large heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a
medium–high heat and add the butter. Add the onions and season generously,
ossing to coat completely in the melted butter. Reduce the heat and cook
gently until the onions are sweet and caramelised, about 10–15 minutes.
Step 4
Towards the end of the pumpkin cooking time, bring a large pan of water to the
boil and generously season with salt. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until
al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water for use in the
sauce.
Step 5
Increase the heat back up under the pan with the onions, then add the reserved
pasta water and bring to a steady simmer. Meanwhile, mash half the cooked
pumpkin and add this to the onions. Crumble in almost all of the blue cheese
(keep a little back to serve) and stir until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
Working quickly, add the pasta to the pan and stir through until completely
coated.
Step 6
Serve the pasta hot in warmed plates topped with the remaining pumpkin slices
and blue cheese. Sprinkle with toasted crushed walnuts and top with a
generous drizzle of the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you have to hand and a
last seasoning of sea salt and black pepper.
Recipe from House and Garden UK