A golden pasta bake that’s the perfect seasonal dish
Topped with mozzarella and drizzled with burnt butter, sage and capers, this dish promises to give you all the feels this autumn.
One of the first things that struck me when I lived in Italy was the profound respect for ingredient seasonality. This became glaringly evident when, in the early weeks of my arrival, I found myself craving for the comforting embrace of pumpkin soup. Assuming it would be a simple task to buy a pumpkin, I embarked on a search through markets, grocers and supermarkets, but came up empty-handed. Perplexed, I turned to my Italian friend for guidance, only to be reminded, “But pumpkins aren’t in season yet. You’ll have to wait.”
In Australia, the distinction between seasonal ingredients isn’t as clear – often it will be the price, or the quality (or where it’s grown!) that will be the give-away. The vast expanse of our country, boasting diverse climates from top to bottom, contributes to this less pronounced seasonal shift too. In recent years, I have noticed people becoming more appreciative of the benefits of eating in season – for both flavour and pocket.
Celebrating an ingredient’s time to shine should indeed be a joyous occasion in the kitchen. Whether it’s the arrival of pumpkin season, the earthy delights of mushroom season or the fleeting joy of my son’s favourite, mulberry season, each heralds a special moment to appreciate the ingredient. Pumpkins are now at their peak. Not only are they sweeter and more flavoursome at this time of year, but you can spot some exciting varieties in the markets.
Here I’m celebrating them the best way I know how, with pasta. Topped with mozzarella and drizzled with burnt butter, sage and capers, this dish promises to give you all the feels this autumn. When it comes to baking pasta, there are two key points to keep in mind.
Firstly, you want undercooked pasta before you bake it as it will continue cooking in the oven. Secondly, you don’t want your sauce too thick as the starch in the pasta will continue to thicken it as it cooks.
For more pumpkin, try my autum pumpkin cake recipe.
Pumpkin pasta bake
Choose a short pasta shape that will catch the sauce in all its curves and crevices.
Ingredients
- 1.6kg butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed in the skins
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 450g short, dried pasta (eg pipette, rigatoni, shells)
- Pinch dried chilli flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 60g (1 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 300g mozzarella, in small chunks
- 50g butter, plus extra to grease
- 12 sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons capers
Method
- Grease a 2L ceramic baking dish (roughly 20cm x 30cm) with butter. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced). Begin by preparing your pumpkin. Once peeled and deseeded, you should have approximately 1.2kg. Place the chopped pumpkin and garlic cloves on a tray, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then roast for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
- Meanwhile, put a large pot of salted water on the boil for your pasta. Remove roasted pumpkin and garlic from oven. Squeeze garlic out of its shell and place in blender along with roasted pumpkin and stock. Blitz until you achieve a smooth consistency, like a thick soup. If it’s too thick you can add a bit more stock, remembering that it will continue to thicken as it cooks. Cook the pasta for 5 minutes – you want it very al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the saucepan and pour over the pumpkin sauce, along with the dried chilli (if using), thyme, ¾ of the Parmigiano Reggiano, ½ the mozzarella, and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Give everything a vigorous stir, adding more cooking water if the sauce is becoming too thick.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into the baking dish, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Once the pasta bake is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the burnt butter topping. Place a small frypan over a medium to low heat. Add the butter and swirl until it starts to turn a golden brown. Add the sage and capers and fry for 2–3 minutes, until crisp. Pour over pasta bake and serve immediately.
Serves 4-5