Cheddar Pumpkin And Almond Pasta Bake

• 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 16 oz spiral pasta
• 3 1/2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups cream
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra leaves, to serve
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 5 oz Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 oz flaked almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0F. Boil pumpkin 10 mins, until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
3. For the white sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 mins, until very thick. Combine the milk and cream and add gradually to the pan, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste.
4. Place the pasta and pumpkin in a large heatproof bowl along with the sauce, ground almonds, herbs, Parmesan, half the Cheddar and the reserved cooking liquid, then toss to combine. Season to taste. Pour into a deep 12-cup ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and the flaked almonds. Bake 30 mins or until golden brown. Sprinkle with extra parsley leaves to serve.

pumpkin, pasta, butter, flour, milk, cream, ground almonds, parsley, fresh chives, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, almonds

Taken from recipes-plus.com/api/v2.0/recipes/29448 (may not work)