Creamy Red Pepper Pesto Pasta Bake with Pumpkin & Ricotta

Steps

1. Preheat oven to high grill. Bring a large pot of hot salted tap water to the boil, with a lid. Cook pasta & pumpkin. Cook pasta and pumpkin in pot of boiling water for 14-15 minutes, until both pumpkin and pasta are just tender. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water and set aside. Drain well and toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking.
2. Prep veggies. Prep onion, garlic and courgettes.
3. Cook veggies. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large oven-proof fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook onion for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, pasta spices and courgettes and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant. Add stock, 1/2 tsp salt and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until courgettes are tender. Remove from heat.
4. Stir through spinach, red pepper pesto, sour cream, cooked pumpkin and pasta. Season to taste. If mix is too dry, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
5. Prep topping & grill pasta bake. In a small bowl, combine ricotta and eggs with a pinch of salt. Dollop topping over pasta. Grill for 3-5 minutes, until topping is golden and has set.
6. Serve pasta bake.