KAREN WALKER’S GARLICKY AUTUMN PAPPARDELLE (v)

Recipe by Sarah Tuck

Reading Karen’s interview, I was delighted to see some of her food likes – garlicky, buttery, vegetarian pasta. My sons and I share the same favourite flavours. To that end, I've created a version of a dish that we often enjoy, which has several variations. Simply swap out the red onions and kūmara for pan-fried mushrooms and a pinch of truffle salt, or sliced zucchini with mint – the magic is in the reduced cream sauce that coats the pasta so that the result is silky, not overwhelming.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large or 2 medium Beauregard

kūmara, chopped into 4cm pieces 1 red onion, sliced into wedges 4 sprigs thyme

½-1 teaspoon chilli flakes sea salt and ground pepper

400 grams fettucine or pappardelle 1 cup cream finely grated zest 1 small lemon 5 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Put the olive oil, kūmara, red onion and half of the thyme in a roasting dish. Sprinkle over half of the chilli flakes, season well with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Cook for 20-25 minutes until fragrant and roasty.

While the vegetables are cooking, put a big pot of salted water on the heat to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta for a few minutes less than recommended on the packet, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

Put the cream, lemon, garlic, remaining thyme and chilli flakes in a wide pot or deep frying pan, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 4-5 minutes until the cream starts to reduce. Add the pasta and about 2 tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce with two-thirds of the vegetables. Add the parmesan and fold together. Top with the remaining vegetables to serve. SERVES 4