Pumpkin Orecchiette Pasta Bake

Dig into the golden cheese crust to find orecchiette, a type of pasta that originates from Italy and resembles the shape of a small ear.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Difficulty Level: 2/5

Ingredients

• 1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, diced
• 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 8 thyme sprigs
• 375 g orecchiette pasta (you can also use penne or ribbon-shaped pasta)
• ½ bunch Swiss chard, stems removed
• 500 g jar tomato passata
• 200 g sourdough bread, roughly chopped
• 50 g feta

Steps

01. Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. On a lined oven tray, combine pumpkin, onion, oil and thyme. Toss well and season to taste. Roast 25 mins, until pumpkin is tender.

02. Meanwhile, cook orecchiette following packet instructions. Drain.

03. Place silverbeet in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand 1 min, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Roughly shred.

04. In a large 8-cup baking dish, combine paste, vegetable and passata. Toss to coat in sauce.

05. Scatter bread and crumble feta over top. Bake 10-15 mins, until topping is golden.

Top Tip: Use any leftover roast vegetables in this bake. For a Mediterranean twist, add antipasto vegetables from the deli.Photo: Rodney Macuja/Bauer