Directions

1. Preheat the oven
   Turn on the oven and preheat it to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper so the squash roasts evenly and doesn’t stick.

2. Prepare the squash
   Peel the butternut squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and dice the flesh into evenly sized cubes so they roast at the same speed.

3. Season the squash
   Spread the cubes across the baking tray and coat them with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, making sure every piece is lightly covered.

4. Roast the squash
   Place the tray into the preheated oven and roast the squash at 200°C (400°F) for 30–35 minutes, until the cubes are soft, lightly caramelized at the edges and easy to mash with a fork.

5. Prepare onion and garlic
   Finely dice the onion and chop the garlic into small, even pieces.

6. Sauté aromatics
   Melt the butter in a large pan and sauté onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.

7. Add roasted squash
   Add the roasted squash cubes to the pan and stir to combine with the aromatics.

8. Cook the pasta
   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it as usual.
   Check the texture toward the end: when the pasta is 1–2 minutes before al dente, you are ready for the sauce steps. Do not drain the pasta; you will lift it straight into the sauce later and use the cooking water.

9. Blend the sauce
   While the pasta is cooking, pour the vegetable broth and cream into the pan with the squash. Blend everything with an immersion blender until the sauce is smooth and velvety.

10. Season and finish the sauce
    Stir in the parmesan, lemon juice and butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce on low heat so it stays warm and gently simmers.

11. Finish the pasta in the sauce
    Lift the almost-cooked pasta directly from the boiling water into the pan with the sauce, using tongs or a pasta spider. Add a splash of the starchy pasta water. Let the pasta cook in the sauce until it reaches perfect al dente and the sauce becomes creamy and coats every piece.

12. Serve
    Divide the pasta between plates. Top with fresh thyme or basil, extra parmesan and a small knob of butter. Serve immediately.