Pumpkin pasta bake with Brussels sprouts recipe

A big pasta bake ticks my box for Saturday-night comfort food, and the gremolata with it here is a lovely way to inject some zesty, fiery flair.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

SERVES

four to six

INGREDIENTS

For the pasta bake

• 4 tbsp butter or oil

• 1 small pumpkin or butternut squash, about 800g

• 2 medium red onions, roughly chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

• 1 heaped tsp dried thyme or oregano, or 1 tbsp fresh leaves

• 1 large handful of parsley, stems and leaves finely chopped but kept separate

• 2 large handfuls of basil, stems and leaves finely chopped but kept separate

• 300g Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered

• 150g Brussels-sprout tops or kale, chopped

• 500g pasta shapes

• 250g ricotta

• 150g mature cheddar, Parmesan or pecorino, roughly grated

For the gremolata

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped, or pinch of chilli flakes, to taste

• zest of half a lemon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas mark 8.

2. Heat three tablespoons of butter or oil in a large, deep-sided ovenproof dish (mine is 33 x 26 x 8cm).

3. Halve and deseed the pumpkin or butternut squash and chop into 2cm pieces (I don’t peel, but feel free if the skin is tough). Toss in the pan with the onions and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

4. In a medium saucepan, gently fry the garlic in one tablespoon of butter or oil for a minute until softened, then turn up the heat and add the tomato purée. Stir for 30 seconds then add the tomatoes, the thyme or oregano, and the parsley and basil stalks. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce the volume by almost half – you want enough sauce to coat the pasta and veg.

5. After the pumpkin has had 20 minutes in the oven, add the sprouts and tops or kale to the roasting dish. Toss and cook for another 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and turning golden at the edges and the sprouts are almost tender.

6. Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for two minutes less than the packet says, then drain it, reserving half a cup of the cooking water.

7. The roasting veg should be ready at the same time as the sauce has thickened and combined. Mix the ricotta into the tomato sauce, taste for seasoning, and then stir in the pasta. Tip everything into the roasting dish of vegetables and give it all a stir. Taste to check for seasoning. If you feel it’s dry, drizzle over about 50ml of the reserved pasta water.

8. Scatter over the grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes until golden on top. If you find you haven’t got a golden top, you can turn the grill on high for the last five minutes.

9. Meanwhile, mix the gremolata ingredients with the chopped parsley and basil leaves.

10. When the bake has rested for 10 minutes out of the oven, spoon over the gremolata and serve straight from the dish.