I cannot believe I have only ever posted one pasta dish on Holly's Pantry. To me, it just doesn't make sense. In our house it has happened that we have had pasta up to 4 times a week! We'll have pasta for dinner-spaghetti bolognese, carabonara, spicy chorizo and penne or a random combination of whatever is in the fridge. I love pasta...really love it! It's so versatile and hella easy to make delicious.
This dish is a bit of a ninja, a little stealthy. It takes very familiar flavours and turns the usual spaghetti tossed in a meat sauce into something quite special.
You may know by now (or not) that I like simple, accessible food with a twist. Taking ingredients that everyone is familiar with, using ingredients that are possibly already in your pantry or easily purchased.
This recipe preaches to that: the only thing I had to buy was fresh sage from the vegetable shop. Minced pork-in the freezer, cream-in the fridge, onion, garlic and butternut squash-lying in the vegetable basket, tinned tomatoes in the press along with chilli flakes. This is a delicious filling dinner at a relatively low cost. What more could you want? Big flavour at a low price.
I have only one preparation picture for this recipe, I apologise. I was helping out a friend doing a photography project, he is putting together a 'look book' and wanted to add in a recipe. I forgot, to take step by step picture but the recipe has everything you need!
I have a feeling this pasta dish will now become a pasta staple in our house! Maybe yours too?
Enjoy,
Holly, x
Everything you need for this dish.
I used spaghetti, but feel free to use your favourite type: penne, fusilli, papparedelle etc etc.
The only preparation picture I have, sorry!
The recipe is below, but if you need anything, ask me in the comment section below and I'll get back to you!
Recipe, serves 5
450g Butternut Squash-1 small/medium one
1 Pound Minced Pork
1 Medium Onion
1 Tin Chopped/Plum Tomatoes
1 Garlic Clove
8-10 Sage Leaves
Pinch Chilli Flakes-more to your taste
250ml Single Cream
Parmesan Cheese, to serve
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Pasta
Preheat oven to 180C.
Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and chop into 1/2 cubes, removing any skin.
Place onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and slightly coloured.
While roasting, begin your sauce.
Remove from oven.
Creamy Pork Ragu
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan.
Dice the onion and sweat, with a pinch of salt, for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until softened but not browned.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add in the pork with a pinch of chilli flake. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, chop the sage.
Turn the heat up and fry, to brown and crisp the onions and pork for 3 minutes.
Add in the tin of tomatoes-be careful this will bubble- and use a wooden spoon to scrape any meat/onions off the bottom of the pan.
~if you have used a tin of plum tomatoes, take a fork and mash the tomatoes up~
Pour in the cream along with the chopped sage and simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the cream and tomatoes have reduced slightly and formed a sauce.
Cook your pasta according to the packet.
Before draining, remove a mug of the pasta water.
Drain and toss with the sauce and roasted butternut squash.
Add in some hot pasta water if you feel you would like the sauce a little looser.
Top with an outrageous grating of parmesan and dig in!