Pasta with Butternut Squash, Butter, and Sage

Peel the squash, remove the seeds and fibers, and cut the flesh into cubes about 1.5–2 cm. Finely chop the onion, rinse the sage and pat it dry.

In a large skillet, melt 20 g of butter over low heat. Add the onion and 4 sage leaves, and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion turns soft but not browned.

Add the squash, stir, pour in 150 ml of water, and season with salt. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender.

Bring 2.5 L of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 150 ml of the pasta water.

Remove the sage from the squash. Mash about half of the squash with a fork right in the skillet to create a thick sauce with small chunks.

Transfer the pasta to the skillet, add the remaining 20 g of butter, and toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Gradually pour in the reserved pasta water until the sauce becomes creamy and evenly coats the pasta.

Remove the skillet from the heat, add 80 g of finely grated Parmesan, and toss to combine. If needed, add a little more pasta water, season with salt to taste, and serve garnished with the remaining sage leaves.