ROASTED SWEDE, BROWN BUTTER & SAGE BUCATINI

Preheat the oven to 160°c (fan assisted)/350°f/gas 4.

Combine the swede, a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper on a baking tray. Use your hands to give everything a good mix, then roast for 30-35 minutes, turning them halfway through, until the swede is tender and deeply golden around the edges

Next, cook the bucatini in well-salted water, until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Let it bubble and crackle, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is covered with a layer of foam and the underneath has turned a golden brown. This will take 3–4 minutes. At this point, add the garlic, sage and roasted swede and continue to cook for a further 2–3 minutes, still swirling occasionally, until the butter has darkened to a nutty brown colour and the garlic has softened. You don’t want it to get too dark, so just keep an eye on it. Also, it will spit, so be careful.

Lift the bucatini from its pan and into the butter with a pair of tongs, bringing some of the pasta water along with it. Add the parmesan, then stir well to combine, adding a dash, or two, of pasta water to loosen the sauce, if needed. We are looking for a glossy silky sauce that easily coats the pasta. Taste and add a pinch of salt, if you think it needs it.

Swirl the pasta onto a plate and finish by tearing the mozzarella and a grinding over good crack of black pepper.