Some of my favorite fall things include pumpkin-spiced everything, breaking out my grey sweaters and brown leather boots that have traipsed all over Europe, cooler and crisp mornings, bright yellow leaves on Aspen trees in the mountains of Arizona, and having a meal that’s filled with comfort food and seasonal flavors on chilly nights.

Butternut squash and sage pasta is one of these classic autumn flavor combinations that turns into a comforting and delicious meal. If you think that smothering your pasta in a creamy and delectable sauce made entirely of butternut squash is odd, then don’t worry because I thought the same thing not long ago. My first experience having squash with pasta occurred in an old trattoria in Italy where I was absolutely flabbergasted as to why they would stuff a ravioli with squash and sage. Shouldn’t there, be like, cheese in there instead?

Let me tell you, the flavors of nutty, sweet squash blended together with onion, garlic, sage, white wine, and vegetable stock is one of the best things to ever put on your pasta. The Italians, as always, know what they’re doing.

This butternut squash pasta recipe is so simple to make and I promise that everyone will adore it. Besides being comforting, creamy, and oh so good, it packs in nutritious benefits as well. Butternut squash has a wide variety of carotenoids, including the four major guys that serve up some serious health benefits: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These plant compounds make your eyes sparkle and your skin shine by acting as retinol and antioxidants in your body. All the other ingredients provide tons of anti-inflammatory goodies, blood pressure lowering allyl sulfides from our good smelling garlic and onions, and more antioxidants from the dried sage.

If you’re looking for a creamy, comforting, and nutritious dish for your autumn evenings, give this one a try. I hope you love it!

Butternut Squash & Sage Pasta

Serves 4

3 cups butternut squash puree*
½ onion, diced
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1 big tsp dried sage
Sea salt and pepper

16 oz pasta, cooked (I used whole wheat penne)

In a medium pot on the stove, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring every now in then. Add in garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring often to make sure garlic does not burn.

Now you need to puree garlic/onions with the butternut squash. You can do this a number of ways: puree onions/garlic/squash with an immersion hand blender, or throw them into a blender or food processor. Once onions and squash are thoroughly pureed together, place back in pot with white wine, vegetable stock, sage, and freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Let butternut squash sauce simmer on the stove for 15 minutes or so, to let it thicken up.

Toss pasta with butternut squash sauce and top with fresh Parmesan cheese, a bit of arugula or thinly cut sage if you’d like.

Enjoy!

*You can use canned butternut squash puree, or make your own. To make your own, peel and cube butternut squash and roast at 400° F for 20-25 minutes with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Once roasted, blend squash cubes (with onion/garlic) for 20-30 seconds, until mixture becomes smooth and creamy.