Ingredients
400g Yorkshire Pasta Fusilli
75ml reserved pasta water
1/2 medium crown prince squash (you can use butternut if you can’t find)
1 small garlic bulb
8 sage leaves
4 pieces dried porcini mushrooms
1 bay leaf
Roughly 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
300ml barista oat milk
100ml water
1 tbsp plant based butter (I used flora plant butter)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper
4 tbsp capers
Olive Oil
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Step 2
Prepare your squash by first cutting in half and removing the seeds with a spoon. Then place the squash cut side down and slice into strips roughly 1-2 inches wide. This will make it easier to cut off the skin. Once you have cut off the skin, cut the squash into cubes and place on a baking tray, then drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and throw in 5 sage leaves. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the squash has softened and just started to catch some colour on the edges.
Step 3
To roast the garlic, cut off the top of the bulb, exposing the cloves inside, and place onto a piece of tin foil. Lay the remaining sage leaves on top, then drizzle over 1tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap this all up in the tin foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. To remove the garlic from its skin, leave it to cool slightly then lay it on a chopping board and use the flat side of a knife to press down, the garlic cloves will come out of the skin in a very satisfying way.
Step 4
To make the sauce add the squash and garlic to a medium sized sauce pan (reserve the sage leaves from the garlic and place to one side), along with the oat milk, water, dried mushrooms, bay leaf, grated nutmeg and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper – leave to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid will begin turn a lovely golden orange colour.
Step 5
Meanwhile heat up 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and when the oil is nice and hot add in the capers. They may spit a little bit so be careful, stir occasionally for roughly 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside for later.
Step 6
When the sauce has finished simmering, remove the bay leaf and mushrooms, then add the nutritional yeast. Using a hand blender blend the sauce until completely smooth. Test for seasoning – I also like to add a little more fresh nutmeg here too.
Step 7
Put a pot of water onto boil and salt liberally then cook the fusilli as per packet instructions – reserving 100ml of pasta just before draining. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and mix through the sauce, adding the butter and pasta water to make the sauce extra silky. When each peace is coated with sauce its time to serve.
Step 8
Sprinkle over your crispy capers and crumble over the reserved crispy sage leaves. The crispy capers add a delicious salty acidity and some crunch.
CHEFS NOTES
Reserve the squash seeds and skin for other recipes. They both make great snacks roasted in the oven with some salt. I also like to add the squash skin to my home ferments as they are a great source of wild yeasts.
