Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into roughly 3cm cubes
• 50-100ml whole milk
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp mascarpone
• 350g short pasta (rigatoni or penne work well)
• 40g grated Parmesan, or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 10-15 mins until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min more. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pumpkin in a pan of boiling salted water for 10-15 mins until tender when pierced with a cutlery knife. Drain and tip into a blender (or use a hand blender). Blitz with 50ml milk and the onions until completely smooth, gradually adding more milk until the mixture is thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon (you may not need all the milk). Tip into a large frying pan with the tomato purée and mascarpone, and bring to a simmer over a low heat.
3. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water following the pack instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pumpkin sauce, Parmesan and 50-100ml of the reserved water to loosen. Season and scatter with extra Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 850ml hot vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus more to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
3. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.
4. While the butternut squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic clove and three-quarters of the chillies.
5. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.
6. Tip the butternut squash into the pan, add the stock and crème fraîche, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches.
7. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraîche and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.

Ingredients

• 100g pudding rice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tbsp vanilla bean paste, or ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
• 650ml unsweetened almond milk, plus an extra splash to serve (optional)
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 250g frozen or fresh mixed berries
• 1 medium orange, juiced, zest peeled into strips using a vegetable peeler

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water for a few seconds, then tip it into an 850ml baking dish. Mix in the maple syrup, vanilla, a strip of orange zest and almond milk. Cook, uncovered, on the middle shelf of the oven for 2 hrs until the rice is tender, most of the milk has been absorbed, and the mixture is creamy.
2. Meanwhile, put the pears, berries and orange juice in a small pan over a medium heat. Cook for 10-15 mins until the berries have broken down and reduced, and the pears are tender. Add a splash of water during cooking, if needed, to create a jammy compote. Leave to cool slightly. Add a splash more almond milk to the rice pudding if you prefer a looser consistency, then serve with the compote.

Ingredients

• 350g plain spelt wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 very ripe bananas (160g peeled weight)
• 80g pitted dates, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 285g plain yogurt
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g blackberries
• 30g pecans, roughly broken (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases. Tip the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix to fully combine.
2. Mash the bananas and dates together well in a second bowl, then beat in the eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla to combine.
3. Toss the blackberries into the flour mix, then stir in the yogurt mix until you have a thick batter. Work quickly, as adding wet ingredients activates the raising agent.
4. Scoop the batter into the muffin cases – if you have a large ice cream scoop, this works well. Fill the cases almost to the brim. Scatter over the pecans, if using, and bake for 20 mins until firm and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Will keep in an airtight container for two days, or in the freezer for up to three months.