Ingredients
- <ul> <li>1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced</li> <li>100ml olive oil (approximately)</li> <li>2 tbsp thyme leaves</li> <li>1 head radicchio, sliced</li> <li>Few sprigs of rosemary</li> <li>600g taleggio, rind removed and cut into chunks</li> <li>150g walnuts, lightly toasted in the oven for five minutes</li> <li>450g orecchietti</li> <li>For the béchamel:</li> <li>450ml milk</li> <li>50g butter</li> <li>50g flour</li> <li>150 Gruyère, grated</li> <li>50g Parmesan, grated</li> <li>Few grates of nutmeg</li> </ul>
Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. Roast the butternut squash on parchment paper with some olive oil, the thyme and rosemary and salt and pepper, till tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain, rinse and toss with a bit of olive oil to stop it sticking, and set aside.
To make the béchamel, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook out for at least two to three minutes to cook the flour, and then add the milk gradually and whisk continuously until the sauce comes together. Add the grated cheese and nutmeg and stir till the cheese is melted. You can do this last bit off the heat.
To assemble the dish, mix the pasta with the béchamel and put a layer of this mixture on the bottom of a deep baking dish, which you can butter. Add some squash, walnuts and radicchio, and scatter over half the taleggio. Repeat.
Finally, scatter the second lot of taleggio over the top and bake till melting and golden brown (about 30-40 minutes).
You can also assemble this and leave it in your fridge until the next day to bake. You may need to let it come up to room temperature or simply bake for longer. Cover with tin foil if it browns too much on top.
