Pasta with Creamy Butternut Sauce

One of my favorite fall dishes is Pasta with Creamy Butternut Sauce.  The sauce tastes rich and decadent, but it is oh-so-healthy. It's also a really easy dish to make vegetarian!  But for my meat-eaters, this dish is excellent with sliced sausage added to it.  Either way, it makes the perfect comfort meal for a cool fall evening.  Enjoy!

Pasta with Creamy Butternut Sauce

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Peeled and Cubed Butternut Squash

1/2 Cup Whole Milk

10 oz Short Pasta of Your Choice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

10 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Chopped Sage

1  Cup Chicken Broth (or pasta water for vegetarian version)

3 Cups Baby Spinach, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Freshly Grated Parmesan, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the butternut squash and boil until tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove squash from the water (reserve the hot water) and place into a blender or food processor. Puree the butternut squash with the milk until smooth, and then salt and pepper. Set aside.

2.  Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water, and cook al dente according to the box instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water if making the vegetarian version.  Drain pasta in colander, set aside.

3. In the empty skillet, add in the olive oil and the mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and sage, and sauté for one more minute. Pour in the pureed butternut squash, chicken broth (or reserved pasta water), and spinach. Stir and cook over medium heat until spinach begins to wilt.   Top with freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1/4th of Pasta

Calories: 352

Carbs: 70

Fat: 4

Protein: 13