Sausage, squash and kale pasta bake

Turning sausages into small meatballs is an easy way to add flavour into this rich and comforting pasta bake.

Ingredients

• 200g/7oz butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1.25cm/½in cubes
• knob of salted butter
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Italian sausages, skin removed and broken into small pieces
• 60g/2¼oz penne pasta
• 20g/¾oz Parmesan, finely grated
• 50g/1¾oz mascarpone
• 60g/2¼oz kale, stalks removed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the butternut squash in a small roasting tin, dot the butter over it, sprinkle with the pepper and arrange the sausage meat on top. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 25 minutes.

2. After 15 minutes, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, and cook the penne according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, stir two-thirds of the Parmesan into the mascarpone and set aside.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water and tip back into the saucepan. Remove the sausage and squash mixture from the oven and tip into the pan with the pasta. Add the kale, the mascarpone and Parmesan mixture and a little of the cooking water and mix well to combine.

4. Tip the mixture back into the roasting tin, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 10 minutes. Serve.

Sausage, squash and kale pasta bake