pasta w/ a roasted butternut squash~leek sauce & spicy chicken sausage

i am really liking roasted butternut squash these days.. i made roasted butternut squash risotto which now has me addicted to risotto as well.. and last year i made butternut squash ravioli in a brown butter sauce which knocked my socks off.. i put roasted butternut squash on a pizza with pancetta and caramelized onions which was amazing!! {no picture my camera was on the fritz.. but trust me it was delish} then i saw this recipe here.. and knew it was something i wanted to try.. it was very good and made you feel good about eating it since it's healthy and not heavy or weighed down... {i am not a big fan of "boiled" butternut squash which the original recipe called for.. so i cut mine in half scooped out the seeds and what not.. placed in a casserole dish with a 1/2 cup of water in the bottom, drizzled the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven on 425 {f} for about an hour.. scooped out the squash and placed it in the blender to make the sauce.. so good}

pasta with a roasted butternut squash-leek sauce and spicy chicken sausage

prep time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 1.5 hours
servings: 6-8

ingredients:

4 links spicy chicken italian sause, casing removed
1 medium butternut squash, roasted
10 oz. pasta of your choice {pete liked these wide noodles i don't i would have used penne if given my druthers}
1/4 cup leek, sliced {white part only}
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
crushed red pepper

preheat oven to 425 degrees {f}, halve squash lengthwise, and remove seeds and fibers.. srinkle squash halves with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. fill a roasting pan/casserole dish with 1/4 inch water.. place squash in pan.. cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes.. then remove cover and bake another 20-30 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.. remove from oven, transfer squash to a cool surface, and let cool enough to handle.. about 10 minutes, scoop out the inside and place in blender and blend until smooth.. in the meantime cook pasta according to pasta directions, reserve at least 1 cup pasta water... in a large deep non stick skillet cook sausage over medium heat until brown and crumbly.. when cooked remove from pan and set aside.  reduce heat of your pan to medium low and two twirls around the pan with olive oil .. saute leeks and garlic until soft and golden.. about 5 minutes.. add pureed butternut squash, salt and pepper and little of the reserved pasta water {about 1 cup} to thin out the sauce.. add sausage and pasta {if pan is not big enough add the sauce and chicken sausage to your pasta pot with the pasta and stir}mix well add parmesan, crushed red pepper and serve with a tossed green salad..

enjoy and get cook'n!!