This incredibly simple pasta dish works perfectly for quick yet nourishing weeknight dinners. Incredibly nutty from both the brown butter & the hazelnuts, with some lovely caramelised sweetness thanks to the roast pumpkin, & a bit of creaminess from the ricotta. Boost the nutritiousness even more by using wholewheat pasta!

INGREDIENTS

• 600g Jap pumpkin, peeled & cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• flaky sea salt
• 250g short tube pasta (penne, rigatoni & tortiglioni all work well here!)
• 50g butter
• 1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked
• 150g fresh ricotta cheese
• 50g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• grated parmesan cheese, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C
2. Toss the pumpkin cubes with the olive oil and a good sprinkling of sea salt, then spread out in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper & roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until the edges are browned & pumpkin is tender.
3. As the pumpkin cooks, cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
4. Place a large skillet over medium heat & add the butter & sage leaves, along with a good pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring, until the butter is slightly browned & has a nutty aroma & the sage leaves darken & become crispy, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, then add the cooked pumpkin and crumble the ricotta on top. Toss very gently to distribute everything evenly & heat it through, then sprinkle with the hazelnuts & parmesan cheese & serve immediately.

Notes:

• This dish would also work very well with gnocchi.
• Butternut pumpkin could also be used in place of Jap.

Prep time: 15 min.
Cook time: 30 min.
Serves: 3-4.

Recipe and video created by Matters of the Belly. Click here to see her blog.