How to make butternut squash and sage pasta bake

Feed a family or friends with this taste of the Mediterranean to quash the winter blues

Sage advice: add yoghurt and parmesan for melt-in-the-mouth flavour

Butternut squash and sage pasta bake

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45-50 minutes

Serves 4

Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of fresh sage leaves, stalks removed; reserve some for decoration
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into cubes
1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
1 red onion, peeled, finely chopped
2 x 400g tinned tomatoes
500g pasta shells
1 litre vegetable stock
5 tbsp of Rachel’s Greek Style natural yoghurt
250g ricotta cheese
1 mozzarella ball
60g parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Use about one table spoon of olive oil in a deep frying pan or saute pan, add the garlic and fresh sage leaves and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the butternut squash, chilli and red onion and fry until they are all soft. Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes until the squash is tender but still whole. Add the stock and ricotta cheese, then reduce the heat slightly and add three table spoons of Rachel’s Greek Style Natural yoghurt, reserving the rest for the topping. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in a large pan of salted water. Drain and then toss into the tomato-and-squash sauce. Take an oven-suitable dish and spoon in the pasta squash sauce. Tear the mozzarella and scatter it over the dish, follow with small spoons of yoghurt and grated parmesan.

Take the sage leaves reserved for decoration and rub them with a little olive oil and place on top of the pasta. Bake the pasta in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until golden and the cheese melts and bubbles.

For more recipes, visit rachelsorganic.co.uk/recipe