For those looking to elevate a weeknight dinner or impress guests with a seasonal dish, this creamy butternut squash pasta delivers a luxurious texture without relying on heavy cream. By roasting or simmering the squash until tender and blending it into a smooth, savoury sauce, you capture the ultimate cosy autumn and winter flavours.

Ingredients

• Short, ridged shapes like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli work best to hold the thick, velvety sauce.
• Get butternut squash: Peeled, seeded, and cubed. This serves as the sweet, earthy base of the sauce.
•  Garlic, shallots, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg to enhance the natural sweetness of the squash.
• A splash of pasta cooking water, grated Parmesan cheese, and a touch of butter or heavy cream to finish the sauce.
• Fresh sage leaves (crisped in olive oil) and extra grated Parmesan.

Instruction 

• Roast or simmer the cubed butternut squash with garlic and shallots until completely fork-tender.
• Transfer the cooked squash, garlic, and shallots to a blender with a splash of warm pasta water and grated
• Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
• Toss your al dente pasta directly into the warm squash sauce, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a glossy, coating consistency.
• Plate the pasta immediately, garnished with crispy sage leaves and extra cheese.