A delicious winter warmer recipe by Hannah Wilding @hans.hungry
I’m a real sucker for squash. I made this one back when squash and pumpkins were in their prime, so I had the luxury of using my favourite variety, kabocha - when roasted, it has the softest, silkiest taste which almost melts in the mouth. But regular squash will work just as well. It’s a hearty bowl of brothy, beanie goodness.
Ingredients (serves 3)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 kabocha squash, or any variety of squash or pumpkin of around 700-800g, roughly chopped into medium sized chunks
500ml veg stock
1 jar of @boldbeanco Queen Chickpeas with their liquid
150g Northern Pasta Co. Conchigliette
4 stems of cavolo nero, leaves removed and roughly chopped
1 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
25g Parmesan, plus extra to serve
Toasted pine nuts, for garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 190C. Tip the squash chunks into a roasting tin and toss well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes until soft, turning half way through
2.Meanwhile, heat the olive in a pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, then add the garlic and sage cook for a further 1 minute until fragrant.
3.Add the stock and pasta to the pan (or enough stock to cover the pasta) and bring to a boil. Cook for 6 or so minutes until the pasta is al dente.
4.Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven. Set aside a few handfuls of the larger pieces and using a fork, mash away the flesh of the remaining chunks. Add this flesh into the pan - it should mellow into the stock and start to for, a creamy sauce. Add a splash more stock to loosen if necessary.
5.Add the chickpeas with their liquid, cavalo nero, nutmeg and the larger squash chunks to the pan and and stir to combine. Simmer for a few minutes until you reach a creamy consistency and the greens have wilted - the squash should bind into the sauce
6. Finally, add the Parmesan and season well with cracked black pepper and salt to taste
7.Serve into bowls, finish with more Parmesan, pine nuts for crunch, and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Add a squeeze of lemon for freshness.
