As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp, autumn invites us to gather around the table and celebrate the warmth of the season with delightful meals and comforting recipes. In this blog post, Denby have created a collection of autumn-inspired recipes that pair beautifully with their stunning tableware to help inspire you to transform your dining space into a cosy haven perfect for sharing meals with family and friends.
Roast Squash and Ricotta Tortellini with sage butter sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
•1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3cm pieces
•100g ricotta cheese
•Fresh homemade pasta or fresh lasagne sheets
•A small pinch of ground nutmeg
•1 egg, separated
•60g butter
•A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely sliced
•A small handful of fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
•A small handful of winter greens, finely sliced
•A small handful of parmesan, grated
•A splash of extra virgin olive oil
•Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
•Lemon zest to top (optional)
Method:
1.Heat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / Gas Mark 4 and prepare a Denby oven tray with a splash of olive oil. Spread the diced squash over the tray and mix around.
2.Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and golden. Set aside and leave to cool.
3.Mash the squash in a bowl with a fork. Stir in the ricotta, egg yolk, flat leaf parsley, parmesan and nutmeg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
4.If using freshly made pasta dough, roll out to the required thickness. Alternatively, lay out the fresh lasagne sheets.
5.Cut the sheet into rounds using a 3” round, with as little space in between as possible.
6.Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round of pasta. Dip your finger in a bowl of water to help seal the edges.
7.Fold the dough over to form a half circle, pressing the top down and then the edges, to squeeze out any trapped air.
8.Draw the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet-shape. Press firmly to seal and pop to one side and keep covered.
9.Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
10.Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the tortellini in 3 to 4 batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until al dente. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a tray lined with baking paper and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
11.Blanch the winter greens in a pan of hot water for a couple of minutes. Drain and set aside.
12.Cook the butter in a frying pan over a low heat for 2 minutes or until fully melted. Add the fresh sage and cook for a further 30 seconds.
13.Serve in Denby pasta bowls, add the winter greens and drizzle with sage butter. Sprinkle with parmesan shavings and lemon zest on top. Enjoy.
One Pot Spinach & Squash Lasagne.
A rich and tasty vegetarian lasagne
Serves 8
Ready in approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 large butternut squash
•1-2tbs olive oil
•250g tub ricotta
•250ml milk
•freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
•100g fresh spinach leaves, washed
•250g tub mascarpone cheese
•¼ tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg
•2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, torn
•250g pack fresh lasagne sheets
•500g grated mozzarella
•10 cherry tomatoes, halved
•2tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
METHOD
1.Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional/Gas 4.
2.Halve the squash lengthways (skin left on), remove the seeds and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1tbs of the olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until just tender. Remove and set aside.
3.Meanwhile, in a large pan, gently fry the garlic in the remaining olive oil for I minute then tip in the washed spinach and stir for a minute or two until just wilted. Tip into a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then add the mascarpone, nutmeg and basil and mix well.
4.Once the squash is cool enough to handle, cut off the skin. Thinly slice the hollowed-out end and roughly chop the rest. Place the chopped squash into a food processor with the ricotta and milk and blend to a puree then pour into a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add 100ml boiling water if required to make a spoonable sauce.
5.Fill a large bowl with boiling water and have some tongs ready.
6.Place the large rectangular dish onto a baking tray. Spoon about a third of the squash mixture into the bottom of the dish and arrange half of the sliced squash on top, then a small handful of mozzarella.
7.Dip 2 sheets of lasagne into the hot water and leave for one minute then remove with the tongs and place 1½ sheets on top of the squash filling. Top with half of the spinach filling and a handful of mozzarella. Repeat using one and a half sheets of lasagne for each layer then finish with a layer of squash filling.
8.Scatter over the tomatoes, the rest of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges. Serve with your favourite salad and some Italian bread.
