Butternut Squash Penne with Pistachio Pesto

For the pasta:
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Toss together butternut squash, olive oil, fresh rosemary (thyme or sage), dried Italian seasoning (or Herbes de Provence), pepper and a pinch or two of salt. Spread this in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add the pasta. Cook the pasta for about 3 minutes less than the package directions state. When the pasta has cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta.
4. Add the pasta back to the pot along with the roasted butternut squash, reserved cooking water and pistachio pesto. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continually until the water is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. Remove from the heat and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Note: Roasting the squash gives it more depth of flavor, but if you want to skip that step, just add the squash to the water with the pasta.

For the pistachio pesto:
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the pistachios are very finely chopped. Be sure to stop before it becomes a paste.

Notes: You may omit the hemp seeds and replace them with more pistachios (about ½ cup more). For vegan pesto, omit the Parmesan cheese.