Cheddar Pumpkin And Almond Pasta Bake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs pumpkin, peeled and chopped coarsely
16 oz spiral pasta
3 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups cream
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra leaves, to serve
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
5 oz Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
2 oz flaked almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F. Boil pumpkin 10 mins, until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
For the white sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 mins, until very thick. Combine the milk and cream and add gradually to the pan, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste.
Place the pasta and pumpkin in a large heatproof bowl along with the sauce, ground almonds, herbs, Parmesan, half the Cheddar and the reserved cooking liquid, then toss to combine. Season to taste. Pour into a deep 12-cup ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and the flaked almonds. Bake 30 mins or until golden brown. Sprinkle with extra parsley leaves to serve.