Roasted butternut squash, penne, goat’s cheese and hazelnuts

Roasted butternut squash, penne, goat’s cheese and hazelnuts. Photograph: Harry Weir
Roasted butternut squash, penne, goat’s cheese and hazelnuts. Photograph: Harry Weir
Serves: 4
Course: Starter
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, deseeded, peeled, halved and sliced into 1 cm pieces
  • A generous drizzle of olive oil
  • Fresh thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 400g penne (or your favourite pasta)
  • 150g log of soft goat’s cheese
  • 3tbs natural yoghurt
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 100g hazelnuts, roasted, shelled and crushed a little
  • 80g Parmesan, grated

1. Set the oven to 185 degrees.

2. Put the butternut squash on a roasting tray, then add the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 25 minutes or so, until golden and soft to the touch.

4. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions. Meanwhile, blend the goat’s cheese, yogurt and orange juice together.

5. Drain the pasta, saving half a cup of the cooking water, then put the pasta and the cooking water back in the pot.

6. Transfer the squash into the pasta, making sure to scrape all the juices from the tray into the pot. Turn everything together carefully and season.

7. Serve with a dollop of the goat’s cheese cream, the hazelnuts and Parmesan over the top.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford