Mafalda and Roasted Butternut in Yogurt Sauce by Ottolenghi
This recipe for for Mafalda pasta with roasted Butternut in warm yogurt sauce is by Ottolenghi and taken from his book ‘Flavour’ p151. This recipe comes together surprisingly quickly and with very affordable ingredients. A great idea for lunch or dinner on a budget or for a group. The yogurt as opposed to cream, makes for a lighter but still creamy sauce.
Side Notes
Cost of non-staples: $15
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 brown onion, cut into wedges
90ml olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
200g short mafalda
500g greek style yogurt
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp cornflour
5g parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish
CHILLI SAUCE
1 plum tomato, roughly chopped
3 red chillies
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
The Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C fan.
Put the squash, onion, 3 tablespoons of oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Transfer on to a parchment-lined baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened and charred. Keep warm until ready to use.
Meanwhile, put the sliced garlic and 2 tablespoons of oil into a small frying pan and place on a medium heat. Cook gently until the garlic becomes deeply golden and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Reserving the oil, use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
For the quick chilli sauce, put the tomato, chillies and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the small bowl of a food processor and blitz until finely minced, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil and pulse for a few seconds more. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until almost al dente, about 7 minutes. Reserving 200ml of cooking liquid, drain the pasta well.
Put the yoghurt, the remaining tablespoon of oil, the cumin, egg yolks, cornflour and 1/3 teaspoon of salt into a blender and blitz until smooth, about a minute. Pour the mixture into a large sauté pan on a medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until thickened and just beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, parsley and half the squash mixture and cook for another 4 minutes, or until just heated through. Transfer to a large serving platter and top with the remaining squash mixture. Drizzle with with a third of the chilli sauce, serving the remainder alongside, and top the fried garlic, parsley and reserved garlic oil.
TIP: Although the recipe suggests cooking the yogurt sauce for about 15 minutes, I found the sauce thickened within 3-5. So keep an eye and trust your judgement.
