Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 2 or 3 medium squash or mini pumpkins
  • 2 tbsp smoked rapeseed oil
  • 150ml vegetable stock, made with ¼ stock cube
  • 50g butter
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 rosemary sprig, chopped, plus extra to garnish
  • 8 sage leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish
  • 40g plain flour
  • 700ml whole milk
  • ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 100g extra mature cheddar, grated - use vegetarian cheese if required
  • 100g Stilton*, crumbled
  • 100g pecorino*, grated
  • 500g dried pasta, such as macaroni or conchiglie
  • 75g sourdough breadcrumbs
  • a little flavourless oil

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Cut the squash or pumpkins in half and remove the seeds. Put in a roasting tin and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season well and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the soft flesh, leaving a 1cm-thick shell all the way round. Weigh out 400g of roasted squash and put in a food processor with the stock. Blitz to a purée and set aside. (The remaining roasted squash can be used in soup or risotto, or as a vegetable mash).
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat; when frothing, add the shallots, rosemary and sage. Fry for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften, then add the flour and cook out over a low heat for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously as you do so, to avoid lumps. Add the nutmeg, bring to a simmer and cook for a further few minutes until thickened. Add the cheddar, Stilton and three-quarters of the pecorino and heat until melted. Finally stir in the squash purée and season to taste.
  • Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, leaving it quite al dente, then drain and mix with the sauce. Spoon the mixture into the roast squash shells, still in the roasting tin. Combine the breadcrumbs, remaining tablespoon of oil and the rest of the pecorino and scatter this over the top (see ‘Get ahead’, if preparing in advance).
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Toss the extra herbs with a little oil and scatter over the stuffed squash, then bake for a further 5 minutes or until the crumbs are golden and crisp and the sauce is bubbling.