Thursdays are a big day for us; with work, school and childcare everyone is absolutely exhausted, so it's good to have a quick meal planned. This is a favourite of ours. It's based on a dish we enjoyed many years ago at a restaurant whose name I've forgotten. Mr C recreated it at home and we've been making it ever since.
First up, this is meant to be a quick meal, so I cheat and use pre-packaged pasta - Latina Fresh Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli is our favourite. You can make your own ravioli ahead of time and freeze it but as I find ravioli messy and time-consuming to make, I let others do the work. One day I might make my own. Maybe. Roasted Pumpkin Sauce
Ingredients
500g pumpkin (I use a mix of kent and butternut)
2-3tbsp sour cream
1 medium spring onion
1 clove garlic
20g olive oil
1 tbsp vege stock
250g water
100g ham, sliced
Method
1. Cut pumpkin into 3cm chunks. Leave the skin on unless you are using a very thick-skinned variety - there's lots of goodness in nature's wrapping. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
2. Boil water for pasta.
3. Chop garlic and spring onion in tmx on speed 5 for 10 seconds.
4. Add oil and saute for 2 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
5. Add pasta to boiling water.
6. Place baked pumpkin, vege stock, sour cream and half the water into the tmx bowl. Blend on speed 5-6 for 30 seconds until smooth. Check consistency and add extra water if necessary.
7. Heat pumpkin sauce at 90°C for 2 minutes at speed 2.
8. Drain pasta, mix together with pumpkin sauce and top with ham.
9. Enjoy!
