Name: Creamy pumpkin, almond and three cheese pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup almond meal; ½ cup blanched almonds, chopped; 1kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 brown onions, chopped; 2 sticks celery, chopped; 8 cloves garlic, chopped; 5cm piece ginger, grated; 1 cup dry white wine; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 1 Tbsp sweet paprika; 100g manchego cheese, finely grated; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to serve; 400g rigatoni pasta; 1 cup finely grated parmesan; 1 cup bocconcini, torn; Finely chopped chives, to serve

It’s easy to love summer, but with crisp cool mornings, bright sunny days and changing colours on the trees, autumn is Ed’s favourite time of year. And the reason is he gets to cook with fresh pumpkins! Seasonal veggies, almonds and three different kinds of cheese make for a delectable pasta sauce, ready for a fresh autumn lunch.

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Ingredients

1 cup almond meal

½ cup blanched almonds, chopped

1kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 brown onions, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

5cm piece ginger, grated

1 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

100g manchego cheese, finely grated

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to serve

400g rigatoni pasta

1 cup finely grated parmesan

1 cup bocconcini, torn

Finely chopped chives, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Put almond meal and blanched almonds on separate oven trays and bake for 3-5 minutes, until toasted. Set aside.

Toss pumpkin in 2 tablespoons of the oil, arrange in a roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes, until softened. In a heavy-based frying pan on medium heat, cook onion, celery, garlic and ginger in remaining oil for 10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes.

Add roast pumpkin and tomato paste to pan, simmer on low heat. Mix toasted almond meal into sauce with paprika and manchego. Puree with a stick blender until smooth. Season.

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with parmesan and stir through sauce, almonds and bocconcini. Garnish with chives. Serve.

Creamy pumpkin, almond and three cheese pasta

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Fast Ed Chef

'Fast' Ed Halmagyi is one of Australia’s best-loved TV chefs and food authors. For over a decade, Ed has appeared on television and radio, in newspapers, magazines and books.

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