Preheat your oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9. 

Trim the butternut squash, halve lengthways, then scoop out the seeds (peel first if you prefer). Cut into 1cm chunks.

Pop the diced butternut onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the roasted spice and herb blend, then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer. TIP: Use two baking trays if necessary. 

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1/2 tsp of salt for the macaroni.

When the oven is hot, roast the butternut on the top shelf until golden and cooked through, 18-20 mins. Turn halfway through.

When your water is boiling, stir the macaroni into the pan and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender, 12 mins. 

Once cooked, drain in a colander and pop back into the pan. Drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.

While everything cooks, pick the sage leaves from their stalks and finely chop (discard the stalks).

In a small bowl, combine the sage, panko breadcrumbs and olive oil for the crumb (see 
pantry for amount). Season with salt and pepper, then set aside your sage crumb.

Grate the Cheddar cheese. 

Melt the butter (see pantry for amount) in another large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once hot, stir in the flour (see pantry for amount). Cook until it forms a paste, 1-2 mins - you've made a roux!

Pour in the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount) a little at a time, followed by the veg stock paste. Bring to the boil, stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 mins. Stir in the creme fraiche, then remove from the heat.

Add the Dijon mustard (add less if you don't love mustard), Cheddar and grated hard Italian style cheese. Stir until combined and melted. Season with salt and pepper.

When the butternut is ready, remove it from the oven and turn your grill on to high.

Stir the butternut into the sauce along with the cooked macaroni. Add a splash of water if it's a little thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Transfer the pasta to an appropriately sized ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the sage crumb, then pop it under the grill until golden and bubbling, 2-3 mins. 

When ready, share the butternut squash mac and cheese between your serving bowls and get stuck in. 

Enjoy!