Ingredients
Quick Chile Sauce
1 plum tomato roughly chopped (1/2 cup)
3 red chilies, seeded and roughly chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp table salt
4-1/2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
1 online, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
7 oz short Mafalda pasta (or other dried pasta, cooking time adjusted if necessary)
2 cups plus 2 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup parsley leaves roughly chopped, plus more to serve
Yogurt, as opposed to cream, has a natural acidity, so it makes creamy pasta sauces that are rich but not in any way cloying or unctuous. These are found all over the Middle East, but aren’t quite as popular elsewhere. Try this version, where a tomato-chili sauce helps cut the fattiness even further. Yogurt can split when heated, so egg yolks and flour are often used to stabilize it, as they do here. Cooking the sauce slowly will give you the smoothest result, so don’t try to speed up the process by increasing the heat.
The quick chile sauce is excellent to have on hand. Double or triple the quantities, if you like – it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, ready to be used as a condiment in sandwiches, or alongside grilled meats, tofu or fish.
DIRECTIONS
1. For the chile sauce: put the tomatoes, chilies, and salt into a bowl of a small food processor and blitz until finely minced, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil and pulse for a few seconds more. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 475F fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and line a plate with a double layer of paper towel.
3. Put the squash, onion, 3 tbsp of the olive oil, 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened and charred. Keep warm until ready to use.
4. Meanwhile, put the garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil into a small frying pan and place on medium heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes deeply golden and crispy, about 12 minutes. Reserving the oil, use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to the prepared plate.
5. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until almost al dente, about 7 minutes. Reserving 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of cooking liquid, drain the pasta well.
6. Put the yogurt, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt into a blender and blitz until smooth, about 1 minute. Poru the mixture into a large sauté pan on medium heat. Cook stirring continuously, until thickened and just beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, chopped parsley, and half the squash mixture and cook for another 4 minutes, or until just heated through. Transfer to large serving platter and top with the remaining squash mixture. Drizzle with one-third of the Chile sauce and top with the fried garlic, parsley and reserved garlic oil. Service with the remaining Chile sauce alongside.