
This creamy roasted pumpkin pasta combines sweet squash, savory sausage meatballs, crispy sage, and a silky mascarpone-Parmesan sauce. It is a cozy, satisfying dinner that feels special enough for guests but is easy enough for a weeknight.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Add the pumpkin and whole garlic cloves to a large roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the sausage meat from the casings and divide it into small equal portions. Roll each portion into a meatball.
Take the tin from the oven and give the pumpkin a quick stir. Scatter the sausage meatballs over the tray, then sprinkle with the chilli flakes. Return to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and the meatballs are browned.
Rub the sage leaves with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, scatter them over the tray, and roast for 5 minutes more until fragrant and lightly crisp.
While the tray finishes roasting, cook the rigatoni in a large pan of well-salted boiling water until al dente, following the package directions. Drain, reserving about 240 ml of the pasta water.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Squeeze the softened garlic from its skins into the tin and discard the skins. Mash the garlic and about one-quarter of the pumpkin with a fork to help form the sauce.
Add the mascarpone, half of the Parmesan, and about 240 ml reserved pasta water to the tin. Stir until smooth and glossy, adding a little more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Add the cooked pasta and chopped parsley, then toss until everything is well coated. Serve topped with the remaining Parmesan and an extra pinch of chilli flakes, if you like.
If pumpkin is not available, butternut squash works just as well. Use good-quality sausages for the best flavor, and do not overbake the sage or it can turn bitter. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.




