Squash, Nutmeg and Chilli Bucatini

It was a late autumn night, and I really wanted cream. I don’t want you to feel like you have to use that cream and have loads left, so I recommend the Poached Pears on whipped cream, with a little honey.

This is easy, hearty and I know I say bucatini but you can use any pasta. I like the bucatini because the holes slurp up the sauce, but it’s not like penne wouldn’t do that. Use what you have to hand.

For 3 or 4

• ½ medium squash (I used Hooligan)

• 2 tbsp chilli flakes

• 100 ml double cream

• ½ grated nutmeg or 3tsp ground nutmeg

• 80g parmesan, grated

• 350g bucatini (or other, see above)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2tbsp olive oil

1. Chop the squash into rough pieces, skin on. Remove the seeds and set aside (to Roast, see here).

2. Place in a roasting dish with 2tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp chilli flakes, garlic (loosely bashed), salt and pepper.

3. Bake for 10 mins.

4. Peel, toss peeled squash, garlic, oil and chilli into blender.

5. Add cream, 50g parmesan, nutmeg and salt and pepper.

6. Blend to taste – this will be your sauce.

7. Cook bucatini to packet instructions, saving a mugful of the pasta water.

8. Heat the sauce gently in a frying pan, adding pasta water to loosen.

9. Toss bucatini in it to make a sauce, loosening as necessary

10. Serve with black pepper, chilli flakes, parmesan.

Could also serve with: guanciale, fried. Chilli oil.