If you ask my dad, he’ll tell you that pasta should come one way – topped with gravy and a meatball.

He doesn’t go for vegetables or shrimp or cream sauces. Gravy. End of story.

Thankfully, my fiance is less picky than my dad.

This is one of our favorite gravy alternatives for pasta.

Roasted butternut squash pureed into a rich and creamy pasta topper.

You will need a medium squash, two cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. You can also add some heavy cream for some richness and creaminess.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise.

Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.

Drizzle olive oil over the cut side and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the squash, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast the squash until it is tender, about thirty minutes or so. Flip the squash over and roast for an additional ten minutes, cut side up.

Really important. Let the squash cool completely! This is not the time to be a hero. It’s hot. Really hot.

When it is completely cooled, scoop out the insides and drop the squash chunks into a large pot.

Add a little olive oil and two cloves of garlic, chopped.

Cook over medium for a few minutes to cook the garlic a bit. The add enough water to the pot to cover the bottom.

Cover and let the steam soften the squash some more.

Using a potato masher if you want a workout or an immersion blender if you’re less of a masochist, blend the sauce until it is smooth. You can also dump the mixture into a blender or food processor.

Toss your favorite pasta in the sauce. I used penne.

You get a rich creamy sauce coating the pasta with notes of sweetness and spice from the garlic and pepper.

It’s still summer, but this dish is fall in a bowl.