Feast all weekend: Roast butternut squash with pancetta and Gruyère and Parmesan cream 

A rather decadent way to dress up a butternut squash. Bacon or pancetta and cheese seem to be regulars in my recipes, and I’m unapologetic on this point – they do make everything taste better!

SERVES 2

2 tbsp olive oil

4 slices of pancetta

1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 3–5cm thick pieces

1 rosemary sprig

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

300ml double cream

100g Parmesan, grated

100g Gruyère cheese, grated

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE KALE VINAIGRETTE 

50g kale, trimmed and very finely chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 banana shallot, sliced into thin rounds

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the pancetta for a few minutes to release the fat. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the squash, rosemary and garlic, to the pan with the pancetta fat, season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure it’s not sticking. Set aside and keep warm.
• Bring the cream to the boil in a pan, then immediately remove from the heat and whisk in both cheeses until melted and thickened. Keep warm.
• For the kale vinaigrette, using your hands, scrunch the chopped kale with the red wine vinegar in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes to soften, then add the olive oil and shallot and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
• When you’re ready to serve, pour some of the Gruyère and Parmesan cream into each bowl, spoon in some squash and garnish with the kale vinaigrette, with the pancetta crumbled over in shards.