Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Total Time: 50 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Yield: 5 servings

I am an avid enthusiast of the fall. It has Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, as well as a bunch of popular dishes with squash! I absolutely love squash and took it this year to try and use as much of the fruit that I could. Butternut squash in itself is amazing, as it's a great source of fiber and vitamins such as A, B, E, and C vitamins!

Ingredients:

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into smaller pieces

1.5 Texas onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup almond or cashew milk

1 tbsp oregano

2 tsp thyme

pinch of cumin

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

feta cheese (or cheese of choice) to sprinkle

3 cups conchiglie pasta (or any pasta of choice)

Steps:

1) Pour the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the squash, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Add the oregano, cumin, and chili powder to toast with the vegetables. Cook until the onion is translucent for about 5-9 minutes.

2) Add the broth and milk. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer until the squash is soft for about 20 minutes.

3) During this time, cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Keep 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.

4) After the squash mixture has finished simmering, remove it from heat and let it cool slightly. Then, add the mixture to a blender. Purée the mixture until it is smooth, and season according to your taste with salt and pepper.

5) Transfer the puréed mixture back into the skillet and combine it with the pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Cook the contents over medium heat and keep adding more pasta water if needed to thicken the mixture. Season if needed.

6. Serve with feta cheese (or cheese of choice) sprinkled on top and oregano.

P.S. I used the entire squash and roasted the seeds and used the skins to make fries, which only involves taking the skins, baking for 5 mins 350 degrees F, let cool, then coating them in olive oil and your seasoning of choice. Then, bake for about 8-10 mins until golden in 350 degrees F.

Buon Appetito!