Pumpkin Pasta with Mozzarella Butter

A delicious way to serve pasta! The lemon and sage flavors of the mozzarella butter make this dish a taste sensation and quite easy to make.

Serves 4
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
125g ball mozzarella, drained and roughly chopped
50g butter, softened
small handful sage leaves, plus extra to serve
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
300g conchiglie pasta (shells)
85g Parmesan, finely grated

Soften the garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Put the mozzarella, butter, garlic, sage, lemon zest and juice into a food processor. Season and blend to a coarse paste, scraping down the sides with a spatula. Transfer the paste to a sheet of cling film and roll into a cylinder. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm enough to slice.

Heat oven 200c/fan or 180c. Pour remaining oil into a roasting pan. Toss pumpkin in oil and season if you wish. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain, return to the pan and add pumpkin and Parmesan. Slice or chop the mozzarella butter and toss into the hot pasta. Serve with chopped sage.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: When buying fresh sage, make sure the leaves are soft and pale green. The older the leaf the more it becomes rough in texture (like a cat’s tongue!) and less aromatic. Stand the stems in a glass of water changing the water every second day, and enjoy fresh sage for a week or so.