Baked Pasta with Rosemary Pumpkin & Mozzarella

Serves 4 - 6

Photo: Sandra Carmona

Ingredients

• 700g firm pumpkin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Rosemary
• Butter
• 20 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
• Caster sugar
• Sea salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 500g large pasta such as rigatoni
• 1 large ball mozzarella in whey, mopped dry and thinly sliced
• Handful small basil leaves
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

1 Peel the pumpkin and discard the seeds and soft fibre. Cut into small cubes and put in a shallow ovenproof dish. Season with salt and pepper, add lots of rosemary and dot with 30g butter. Roast in an oven preheated to 200°C for about 30 minutes, until golden but still firmish.

2 Halve the tomatoes lengthways and put them in a shallow oiled oven tray (I use a Swiss roll tin lined with baking paper to make cleaning easier). Sprinkle with caster sugar, sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast in an oven preheated to 210°C (fanbake) for 12-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are collapsing and caramelising around the edges.

3 Cook the pasta until al dente (remember it goes back in the oven to cook a little more). Drain, turn into a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Put half the pasta in a large oven-dish. Add the pumpkin, mozzarella then the tomatoes and basil and top with the rest of the pasta. Grind on some pepper, sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and dot with butter. Bake for about 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 200 °C, or until golden on top. Serve hot.