Spaghetti with Butternut Squash

I'm back!  Happy holidays, everyone.  I hope you were all as pampered for Christmas as I was!  As much as I loved visiting with family, it was really nice to be back home and in my kitchen again.  I celebrated with a new meal last night: this very tasty take on spaghetti.  It has a great flavor, and even my picky husband was a fan after he doused his in extra Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced (I cheated and bought mine already diced for me!)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz (1/2 box) spaghetti
• 1 cup sliced leek (only use the stem, not the leaves), thoroughly cleaned in cold water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, thinly sliced horizontally
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add squash and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth and set aside.
2. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
3. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet.  Saute the leeks and garlic over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5-7 minutes.  Add pureed squash, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out sauce to desired consistency.  I kept mine pretty thick.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and sage, and mix in pasta until well coated.
4. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese to taste.