Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

This butternut squash pasta sauce is perfect for that comforting huge-bowl-of-pasta kinda meal.

It's the first time I've actually made anything with butternut squash, and it was just fabulous. The sauce is creamy and smooth and rich and sweet and spicy all at the same time. Once again, I got the recipe from Everyday Food, where they make it with ravioli.

It freezes really well, which works out just great if you're like me and hadn't thought about dinner before going to the gym and now you're home and famished, but what to cook?

They suggest topping it with a sprinkling of parmesan, chopped walnuts or chopped sage.

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 garlic cloves, peel on
1 cup half-and-half
Pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta), for serving
Toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a large, sharp knife, trim the squash ends, then halve the squash crosswise to separate the bulb from the neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.

Cut squash into 2-inch chunks. Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove and discard skin from garlic.

Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor. Puree. With motor running, add half-and-half through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water. Continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt. (To freeze, see below.)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary. Serve with desired toppings.

To freeze: Cool sauce to room temperature. Transfer to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of space. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, place plastic containers upside down under hot tap water to help release frozen blocks of sauce. Place blocks in a large saucepan. Cover and reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin if necessary. (To serve with pasta, see step 4.)