Pumpkin & Pancetta Mac ‘n’ Cheese

To prepare the ingredients, finely dice the pancetta and brown onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Dice the pumpkin into 2 cm cubes and chop the parsley. Grate the zucchini and cheese.

Place a small non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 minutes or until hot and crispy. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the pumpkin, stock and water, bring to a boil, then decrease to a medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from the heat and blend the mixture until smooth.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for approximately 5 minutes,or until almost cooked (it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and return to the pot then stir through the pumpkin mixture, pancetta, zucchini, half the Parmesan cheese, and season with pepper. Pour into a baking dish, spread the remaining Parmesan and breadcrumbs on top with a generous drizzle of oil. Place into the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy.