Squash Ricotta Sage Pasta Bake Food

SQUASH AND RICOTTA PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Place the squash on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and pop in the hot oven for around 15 minutes, or until tender.
• Pour a couple of lugs of olive oil into a large frying pan, add the garlic and basil stalks and fry for a couple of minutes. Add your tomatoes to the pan, breaking them up with a wooden spoon and bring to the boil. Drop in the roasted squash, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the penne and cook for a couple of minutes less than it says on the packet. Drain, then toss with the sauce.
• Tear up the basil leaves and sprinkle into the pan with some salt and pepper. Stir in the ricotta and the stock, then bring back to the boil.
• Rub a large baking tray, ovenproof pan or earthenware dish with olive oil and spoon in all the pasta and sauce. Tear over the ball of mozzarella and top with the Parmesan. Rub the sage leaves with a little olive oil and put on top.
• Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a crisp green salad.
• Tip: If you're a chilli freak like me, try adding a chopped fresh chilli to your tomato sauce.

SQUASH, RICOTTA & SAGE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Toss the squash together with the olive oil in a roasting tin. Roast the squash for 30 mins until soft and golden. While the squash is roasting, mix the crème fraîche with half the Parmesan, then set aside.
• When squash is ready, leave to cool slightly, then peel the skin away from the flesh. In a separate bowl, beat the ricotta with the chopped sage and remaining Parmesan and fold through the squash with some seasoning, trying not to break it up too much.
• Assemble the bake by spreading a little of the crème fraîche mix over a gratin dish. Then lay some of the lasagne sheets over and splodge some of the ricotta and squash mix over the pasta with more crème fraîche. Use all the ricotta mix to fill the bake, but make sure you keep some crème fraîche for the top. Finally, spread the crème fraîche over the top layer of lasagne, then scatter with the whole sage leaves. The bake can now be frozen; defrost thoroughly before cooking. Bake for 25 mins until bubbling and golden, then serve cut into squares.

SQUASH, SAGE, AND RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart or 8-inch square baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Using tongs, transfer pasta to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Add squash to boiling water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain squash and transfer to a bowl.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with squash and add 2 tablespoons milk, chopped sage, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until a rough puree forms.
• Spread 1/4 cup squash mixture crosswise down the middle of each lasagna noodle; roll up noodle and place, seam side down, in baking dish. In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup milk and season with salt and pepper. Spread ricotta mixture over cannelloni and top with cup Parmesan. Bake until warmed through, about 25 minutes. Broil until top is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Fry whole sage leaves until crispy, 15 to 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve cannelloni topped with fried sage.

BAKED PASTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.
• Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
• Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
• Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.