Blue cheese and squash pasta bake with mushrooms and kale

I’m very excited to be publishing Holly’s seasonal recipe for October. When I made this particular dish a few days ago I added lots of blue cheese, but I’d advise there’s no need to add it if you don’t like it. This recipe works just as well if you use a different cheese. Enjoy it!

A reminder that you can find all of her other recipes by clicking here.

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Squashes and pumpkins are a ubiquitous symbol of autumn and despite their Halloween connotations they are amazing and versatile ingredients. For this recipe I used a squash variety called the crown prince which has a pale green exterior and soft orange flesh. It would also work well with a butternut, although there are many other interesting varieties which are well worth seeking out. I think the pairing with mushrooms and kale makes it feel particularly autumnal.

I small butternut squash

Small bunch of sage leaves, roughly chopped

250g pasta

2 tablespoons of butter

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

150g mushrooms, sliced

A large handful chopped kale

250g ricotta

250ml stock

Blue cheese (30g-100g)

50 g breadcrumbs

 

1. Begin by peeling and cutting squash into small chunks around 2cm in size. Drizzle these with oil, toss with the sage and roast in oven for 15 mins in a large dish. Put the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook just a minute or two under the packet instructions.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and add the onion, cook until beginning to go soft, around 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more on a low heat. Add the mushrooms and kale and cook for around 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

3. After this tip in the roasted squash and pasta, then the ricotta and stock. Stir until everything is combined and the pop into the dish the squash was previously roasted in.

4. Add a few chunks of blue cheese (anything between 30g and 100g depending on how much you like it – you could try other types of cheese such as goats if you’re not a fan of blue cheese) and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins at 180 degrees.

Serve with garlic bread for extra comfort food points!