Pumpkin Box: Three Courses

• Cut the bread into 1cm cubes. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the bread for 6 - 8 minutes so as to make croutons. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Take the soup pot off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Add two-thirds of the crème fraîche and mix well, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve the soup in bowls or on deep plates, with the rest of the crème fraîche. Garnish the soup with the croutons and the rest of the thyme.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the butternut squash and cut in half lengthways.
• Scoop out the seeds and the stringy insides, then cut into large crescents around 2cm thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
• Roast in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes, turning halfway. Remove from the oven and set aside until the next step.
• Finely chop the red chili pepper*. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chili pepper with the rest of the onion and garlic for 4 - 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Sicilian herbs and fry for another 2 - 4 minutes.

*Take care, this ingredient is spicy! Use as preferred.

• Put the onion, aromatics and half of the roasted butternut squash in a large bowl. Add the cream and the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount).
• Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, then add the white balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Chop the shallot and halve the sundried tomatoes. In a salad bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and the honey.
• Shortly before serving, add the arugula and shallot to the bowl and toss well to combine. Garnish with the sundried tomatoes and the pumpkin seeds.

• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Roughly tear the Serrano ham into pieces and remove the sage leaves from the stems. Fry both for 5 - 7 minutes until crunchy. Crumble up the feta.
• In the meantime, boil plenty of water in a lidded pot or saucepan, then add a pinch of salt and boil the tagliatelle for 3 - 5 minutes. Drain and then transfer the tagliatelle to the creamy sauce and mix well to combine.
• Serve on deep plates and top with the rest of the roasted butternut squash. Garnish with the Serrano ham, sage and feta. Serve the arugula salad alongside.