SPAGHETTI WITH BAKED PUMPKIN AND ROSEMARY

Yet another recipe by the multi-Michelin starred chef and star of the small screen, Gordon Ramsay! There are two ways to serve this: with a smooth or a chunky sauce. It all depends both on your personal taste and on the firmness of the pumpkin flesh. :)

The original recipe uses penne but we replaced it with spaghetti.

Ingredients:

250g wedge of pumpkin, skin on
3 cloves of garlic, halved with skin on
200g dried spaghetti
15g freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus some to serve
Leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary
Few sprigs of thyme
olive oil, to drizzle
Salt and pepper, to season
*Crispy bacon bits, optional*

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Cut the pumpkin into thin wedges. Spread a little olive oil over the base of a roasting tray and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer and drizzle generously with more olive oil. Scatter over the garlic, herbs and a little more seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Discard the herbs and garlic. They have done their job :D

Reserving the oil in the roasting tray, remove the skin from the pumpkin and cut the flesh into small bite-size chunks. If making a smooth sauce, put the pumpkin along with the reserved oil in to a blender and blend to a smooth puree (Skip this if you've decided to leave the pumpkins in chunks). Transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let it bubble til reduced to a consistency that will coat the pasta well.

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions until al dente and drain. Add the pumpkin puree and grated parmesan. If making a chunky sauce, simply toss them and the reserved oil with the pasta and parmesan.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with a small handful of parmesan and serve.

Hubby added crispy bacon bits for extra flavor :D

Comments

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