DAILY DINNERS

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Prick a butternut squash (1.2kg) all over with a sharp knife and roast for 1 hour 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool – this can be done on the day, or even days before or use tin of pumpkin puree.

Tear 1 ciabatta roll (85g) into a food processor and pick in ¼ of a bunch of fresh rosemary or thyme. Add a handful of chestnuts, if you like. Peel and add 1 clove of garlic (if using), drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and blitz to breadcrumbs.

Tip into a large frying pan and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until beautifully golden and crisp, stirring regularly, then tip into a bowl.

Pick and finely chop ¼ of a bunch of fresh rosemary or thyme.

Place the pan back on a medium heat, scoop in half the butternut squash flesh (save half for another day), removing any tough skin or seeds, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and scatter in the chopped herbs. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as you go.

To cook the pasta, pour in 800ml of boiling kettle water into a pan and turn the heat up to high. Drain the liquid into the pan with the squash. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked and has sucked up most of the liquid, stirring regularly, then turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, finely grate 50g of Parmesan. Once the pasta is cooked, scatter the Parmesan into the pan, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss together. Taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper.

Divide the pasta between plates, scatter over the crispy breadcrumbs and top with an extra grating of Parmesan.    

Top Tip: use it up. Instead of throwing the squash seeds away, turn them into a tasty topper or simple snack. Bake at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container until needed.

Veg boost: Throw a handful of peas or spinach into the pan for the last few minutes – delicious!