Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

First of all, I apologize again for neglecting my dear blog.  I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, as I just turned in a paper/project that are worth 40% of my grade in one of my masters classes.  (EEK!)  Suffice it to say that take-out and frozen pizza have graced our table a lot more frequently than home-cooked goodness in the past few weeks.

Now, onto this delicious butternut squash pasta... 

I wouldn't exactly call Mr. Ommy Noms a "meat and potatoes" guy, but it's safe to say that vegetarian dishes usually aren't his bag.  So when I set a plate of butternut squash pasta in front of him, I expected a lukewarm reception at best.  Oh, but I was surprised!  My husband RAVED about this dish, going back for seconds and insisting we reserve some for leftovers.  It paired beautifully with a fresh green salad.  Despite its fancy taste, this was a very low-effort dish.  Shredding the cheese and squash ahead of time would make this a great after-work meal.

Serves 4-6
Adapted from A Little Bit of Everything

INGREDIENTS
9 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
10 oz blend of hard cheeses (I took the easy way out and used a bag of shredded Italian)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cream (I used light cream)

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Boil the pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside to cool.
2.  Shred the squash flesh using a cheese grater.
3.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, shredded squash, half the cheese, garlic, and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Transfer pasta mixture to a buttered baking dish.  Pour cream over pasta.  Top with remaining cheese.
5.  Bake until cream is absorbed and squash is cooked, about 30 minutes.