Claud's Pumpkin, Sage and Garlic Pasta

Our volunteer guest chef Claudia knocks up a mean pasta, and her pumpkin, garlic and sage pasta recipe is just too delicious, easy-to-make and cheap not to share with yous! It’s squash season and we’ve got an abundance of butternut squash, pumpkin and marrows-delicious, healthy and cheap seasonal veggies that we think are lush. If you’d like to try Claud’s recipe out but can’t afford the ingredients, come down to our community lunch on Saturdays from 11am-2pm where you can get all the ingredients for this recipe (and more!) for free. You can even pick some sage from our community garden (like Claudia did!) to finish off the dish.

Cooking Time: 45 minutes total
Serves: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (finely sliced)
Salt to taste
Handful of fresh sage
500g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
350 gram spaghetti
60g parmesan (grated)

METHOD

Remove the skin and chop the pumpkin into 2cm cubes. Heat up some oil in a pot and drop in the pumpkin. Season with a pinch of salt. Sautee the pumpkin adding dashes of water when the pumpkin starts to stick to the pan (this helps the pumpkin soften and creates a sumptuous creamy consistency). Add in the finely diced garlic and reduce the heat. Add in the sage, leaving a few leaves to garnish.

While your pumpkin sauce is reducing grab a big pot of water and bring to boil. Salt your water generously (you want it to taste as salty as the ocean) Once the water has come to boil, drop in your pasta and put on a timer for 8 minutes (more on the al dente side as it will cook more once you mix with the pasta).

Once your timer has gone off drain the pasta, leaving a cup to add to the sauce. Combine the pumpkin sauce, parmesan, pasta water and pasta in a big bowl and mix generously until the sauce combines and thickens. Lastly, plate up your pasta and garnish with parmesan and remaining sage leaves. Ta-da!