There exists a tradition around me, expressed, as all good traditions are, in an aphorism without any philosophical content at all. From first play of Mumford & Sons' Winter Winds, henceforth Autumn begins.
Hardly Rousseau, is it? Autumn is the best time of the year for food - bread straight from the oven with masses of butter, chickens roasted over butternuts and red onion, upstairs coffees on soft leather sofas, gloves resplendent in scarf, gloves and greatcoat whilst the place will inevitably play the new Mumford & Sons album. Autumn is a time for big comfort food and the time between the BBQ of summer and state-banquet type things we all do at Christmas. Big autumnal comfort food doesn't come much better than this: pasta with red onion, butternut and lardons
Hardly Rousseau, is it? Autumn is the best time of the year for food - bread straight from the oven with masses of butter, chickens roasted over butternuts and red onion, upstairs coffees on soft leather sofas, gloves resplendent in scarf, gloves and greatcoat whilst the place will inevitably play the new Mumford & Sons album. Autumn is a time for big comfort food and the time between the BBQ of summer and state-banquet type things we all do at Christmas. Big autumnal comfort food doesn't come much better than this: pasta with red onion, butternut and lardons
red onion, garlic, diced butternut and chives on my board.
1. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius, then take down some butternut and put in a roasting tray. Add olive oil, butter, smoked paprika, oregano, sea salt and black pepper then roast for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat water and cook pasta to just past al dente. Half cover the butternut squash in water, stir to deglaze the tray, cover with foil and put back in the oven.
3. Colour some medium dice red onions and baby garlic in a sauté pan until translucent, then add lardons and sear. When cooked, deglaze with the butternut cooking liquor and reduce by half, then add double cream.
4. When the sauce is flavoured as you want it, add the butternut and fold through, checking for seasoning. Pour over the pasta and fold through, careful not to smash the squash too much. Breadcrumb (if you have any) and return to the oven on the highest temperature (or grill) to crisp the top.
1. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius, then take down some butternut and put in a roasting tray. Add olive oil, butter, smoked paprika, oregano, sea salt and black pepper then roast for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat water and cook pasta to just past al dente. Half cover the butternut squash in water, stir to deglaze the tray, cover with foil and put back in the oven.
3. Colour some medium dice red onions and baby garlic in a sauté pan until translucent, then add lardons and sear. When cooked, deglaze with the butternut cooking liquor and reduce by half, then add double cream.
4. When the sauce is flavoured as you want it, add the butternut and fold through, checking for seasoning. Pour over the pasta and fold through, careful not to smash the squash too much. Breadcrumb (if you have any) and return to the oven on the highest temperature (or grill) to crisp the top.
Mumford & Sons aside, this is a genuinely great autumn dish. It keeps covered in the fridge and reheats well, looks like a forest floor and uses cheap ingredients for massive flavour and satisfying comfort. Tuck in! JB x