Pumpkin Pasta with Burrata and Hazelnuts

Just as the air turns crisp, Flora treats us to a recipe that celebrates the heartier flavours of the season. Perfect for cosy evenings or a relaxed weekend gathering, this Pumpkin Pasta with Burrata and Hazelnuts is autumn on a plate – warm, rich, and full of the earthy, nutty goodness that defines the season's harvest. Join us as we indulge in the simple pleasures of autumn with this inviting, seasonal dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the sauce:
1.2kg pumpkin or squash (whole weight) (I used a mix of red and green Kabocha but Crown Prince of Delica varieties would be delicious too)
75g olive oil
25g white wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
black pepper
10g sage leaves
75g hazelnuts

250g fresh lasagne sheets (dried will also work here if required they will just take much longer to cook)

For the topping:
100g butter
1/2 nutmeg clove
10g sage leaves
salt and pepper
150g burrata (drained weight)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C FAN.

2. Wash the pumpkin then cut in half (no need to peel). Scoop out the seeds, discard, then cut into quarters. Slice into small wedges roughly 2-3cm thick. Place on a large roasting tray.

3. Drizzle over the oil, vinegar, salt and season well with black pepper. Add the sage leaves. Toss everything together then place in the oven to roast for 35-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is very soft and caramelised.

4. 10 minutes before the pumpkin has cooked, place the hazelnuts on a small tray and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Allow to cool. Place a large pan of water on to boil.

5. Cut the lasagne sheets into five rough strips in order to get large pieces of pasta. Place in the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until al dente. If using dried you will need to snap your sheets into rough strips and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

6. Once cooked, drain and reserve the pasta water. In a large shallow pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Grate in the nutmeg clove then add the sage leaves and some seasoning.

7. Once the sage leaves are beginning to crisp up add a couple of generous ladlefuls of the starchy pasta water and all the cooked pumpkin. Add a ladleful of the water to the roasting tin to extract any caramelised flavour then add to the pan.

8. Finally add the pasta. Stir everything together (you may find you need to fold it due to the shape of the pasta sheets) then remove from the heat. Add more water to loosen if required then check for seasoning.

9. Spoon the pasta and pumpkin onto four plates then spoon over the sauce left in the pan. Divide the burrata into four and place on top of the hot pasta.

10. Crush the roasted nuts then sprinkle over the top of the burrata. Finish with a little extra virgin olive oil and some black pepper. Lemon zest of chilli flakes will also give this dish a nice kick at the end. Serve immediately.