I love this time of year. Conor and Lucia have made their pumpkin lanterns and I never let anything go to waste. I make soup with the flesh that they have scraped out – which is also good with pasta. Sage is a herb that tastes particularly well with pumpkin.
This is a recipe that you could use any time of the year with butternut squash or with sweet potatoes instead of the pumpkin.
I mentioned recently how many butchers are making their own sausages and here is another chance to try some out. With colcannon, this makes a very tasty meal.
Colcannon is also delicious with any grilled meat or with Sunday lunch. I often use this onion gravy with roast meats or pork chops. Allowing it to carmelise adds great depth of flavour.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Penne with pumpkin, crispy bacon, sage and Parmesan
Serves four to six
4 tbsp olive oil
175g (175g) smoked streaky bacon lardons
500g (1¼lb) pumpkin, peeled, seeded and finely diced
15g (½oz) packet fresh sage, finely shredded
500g (1¼lb) penne pasta
50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sausages with colcannon
Serves eight to 10
1.5kg (3lb) floury potatoes (such as Rooster), peeled and cut into chunks
8 traditional jumbo Irish pork sausages
225g (8oz) kale, finely shredded
2 scallions, very finely chopped
120ml (4fl oz) milk
75g (3oz) butter
Salt and pepper
Stout onion gravy, to serve (optional, see point 3)