Pasta with Hearty Squash Sauce

Everyone enjoys pasta, it is satisfying, a good source of carbs, and easy to prepare. However many typical pasta sauces are just that, typical. In an effort to break away from the tomato pastes and heavy creams I experimented with making a sauce based on squash with the goal of introducing a little variety in my pasta dishes. I was well pleased with the results, the sauce was flavorful with bold tastes, healthy, and simple enough to prepare.

You will need:

1 squash, I used an acorn squash
1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
2/3 cup milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon+ red pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt

• Clean the squash and pepper, cutting both in half lengthwise and removing the seeds. Place the squash in an oven safe pan with about ½ water and bake at 350 for about 1 hour. 30 minutes in add the red pepper. Cook until the flesh is tender
• Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove the rind from the squash. Cut the vegetables into pieces.
• Using a food processor blend the vegetables with the other ingredients, adding water until the mixture makes a loose purée.
• Place the purée in a sauce pan and simmer until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
• Serve over pasta. Pasta with ridges to hold the sauce works well. Parmesan tortellini also works well as the sharpness of the cheese offsets the sweetness of the sauce well.