Butternut Pumpkin Penne

Ingredients

• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 butternut pumpkin (neck end only)
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• A large pinch of chilli flakes
• ½ a bunch of fresh sage
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 320g dried penne
• 20g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
• ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Make 500ml of hot stock with the cube, then refill and boil the kettle.
2. Trim the stalk off the pumpkin, roughly chop the neck end (don't peel, and keep the seed end for another day), then chop finely with a food processor along with the peeled onion, fennel seeds, dried chilli and sage leaves.
3. Heat the mix in a casserole pan, along with the stock, chickpeas and their juice. Put the lid on and stir regularly.
4. Cook the pasta in in boiling salted water and cook until al dente.
5. Using a stick blender, blitz the sauce until somewhat creamy.
6. Season the sauce to taste and finely grate in the Parmesan.
7. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and serve scattered with chopped parsley leaves and an extra grating of Parmesan.