Pumpkin, Honeybunnies.

We’ve done the last recipe of summer (although me runner beans are still running). Now’s the time for the first offering from my autumn almanac.

Roast Pumpkin with Pappardrelle

First catch your pumpkin. Most of the ‘carving pumpkins’ sold in these parts are from Hungary, where they are grown as cattle fodder. Insincere pumpkins. Edible at a pinch – although you may prefer to substitute some kind of more flavoursome, orange-fleshed squash such as butternut or kabocha. Whatever, your first task is to cut it into reasonably sized slices and remove the skin…somehow. I’ve no advice to offer on how best to do this. It’s fucking difficult.

Next, stash your peeled pumpkin bits in a roasting tin and add a handful of cherry tomatoes and a few peeled shallots. Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper and muddle it all around a bit.

Now, the usual wisdom with roast pumpkin involves blasting it at a high temperature. I reckon with this it’s better to cook it longer and slower, possibly sealing the tray with foil, so that everything gets all soft and mingles nicely. Then blast it a bit at the end, so you get scorchy bits.

Once the vegetables are cooked, lightly mash a couple of the tomatoes and pumpkin slices (but leave most whole). Then stir a pot of crème fraîche into the tin. Add a sprig of rosemary. Stick it back into the oven until the crème fraîche bubbles – but don’t overcook so that it goes cheesy.

Remove the rosemary. Serve over cooked pappardrelle – or tagliatelle at a pinch – with the usual scattering of freshly grated parmesan.



There’s a lot of controversy concerning the effects of violence on TV. Now…I was brought up on a constant diet of extremely violent cartoons, yet I didn’t grow up to be a mass murderer. Although I do enjoy dropping anvils on cats.