Tagliatelle with Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts and Crispy Sage

Serves 4

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, deseeded and diced

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs of thyme

½ nutmeg, grated

75 g butter

80 g blanched hazelnut, roughly chopped

20 sage leaves

350 g tagliatelle pasta

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the diced squash in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, season with a generous pinch of salt and add the bay leaves and thyme.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender, then strain off the water and remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Add the nutmeg and 25 g of the butter and lightly mash the squash.  Season to taste and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 50 g in a large frying pan over high heat.  When foaming, add the hazelnuts and sage.  Season with sea salt and pepper and cook for 5-8 minutes until golden and crispy, and the butter has browned.

Cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions.  Drain and mix with most of the hazelnut and sage butter. Gently mix through the butternut squash mash and serve, topped with the remaining hazelnut, sage and brown butter.

New classics - Marcus Wareing