Butternut squash is not just a vegetable. When cooked and blended into a puree, it becomes a silky, creamy sauce. For those wanting to carb-load, you can shovel down this macaroni pasta bake in the knowledge that you are not eating loads of cheese. Be warned, though, not all butternut squash are equal. Bigger are not better – they tend to be woolly and don’t give the sweet, chestnutty flavour and luxurious texture you can get from smaller squash. Serves two For the thyme pesto ½ bunch of thyme 1 small bunch of parsley 1 bunch of basil 30g hard cheese (optional) 30ml olive oil 1 clove of garlic 10g roasted pistachios 10ml lemon juice For the rest 500g peeled butternut squash 1 large onion Olive oil 150ml white wine 400ml vegetable stock 6 cloves minced garlic 1 tsp oregano ½ bunch of thyme 1 tsp paprika ¼ tsp chilli ½ tsp salt 250g macaroni 100g spinach 2 slices of stale sourdough Salt and black pepper Blitz all the pesto ingredients until smooth. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/40