Step 1

Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling.  Add pasta, turn the heat down and cook according to package directions.  Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining pasta.  Set pasta aside until ready to use.

Step 2

Thoroughly wash and dry your squash.  Cut the top and bottom part off and then dice your squash into about 1/2 inch cubes.  If your squash is extra large, you may want to cut out some of the spongy, seedy middle part, so you’re mainly using the more flavorful part of the vegetable.  That is totally option though!

Step 3

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add about 3 teaspoons olive oil.  Next, add in your diced onion and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the diced squash and minced garlic, as well as a big pinch of salt and pepper.  Mix everything up and let squash cook until almost all of the water has cooked out and squash is soft and starting to brown a little bit.  It will take about 20 minutes, but it gives the squash much more flavor.

Step 4

Add cooked squash to a blender, or food processor, and turn on low.  Slowly turn speed up higher and blend until squash is pureed and smooth.  Pour the pureed squash into a pot and turn over low heat.  Add in the shredded cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

Step 5

Add the pasta back in and mix everything together well.  If your sauce is very thick, you can thin it out by adding in some of the reserved pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and top pasta with fresh herbs.  Enjoy!