from Sam Turnbull…It doesn’t taste like chicken

serves 4

• 500 g pasta of choice (tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguini, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons (vegan) butter              
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash (950g) (7 cups) peeled, deseeded, and chopped into 2-inch cubes
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth     
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt                              
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the fried sage garnish:

• 2Tbs (vegan) butter   
• 1 bunch fresh sage leaves (about 20 leaves)

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

In a large saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown.

Add the butternut squash, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes until the butternut squash is very tender when pierced with a fork.

Use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend the butternut squash mixture until it’s completely smooth and creamy. If using a standing blender, be careful not to fill the blender too high so it doesn’t erupt. If your sauce is too thick, you can add another ¼ cup of vegetable broth. Return the sauce to the pan, and add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well to coat.

To fry the sage: melt the (vegan) butter in a frying pan then add the sage leaves. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes until the edges just start to brown. Remove from heat and set on a paper towel to drain.  Place 2-3 leaves on top of each portion.