Asiago and Squash Linguine

1. Heat enough olive oil in a large skillet to coat it on medium heat (4.5 on a 1-10 scale). Cut up the onion to be whatever size you prefer in your pasta and add it in the skillet. Mince the 3 cloves of garlic and add that as well. Stir every few minutes; these will sweat while working on the next step.

2. Medium-dice the potatoes and add those to the skillet (they need to cook the longest). Continue stirring the skillet every few minutes and after a new ingredient is added.

3. Cube the remaining squashes into bite-sized cubes beginning with the butternut squash and add each squash as you finish cubing it.

Tip: For the butternut squash, it is easiest if you find it pre-cubed, as it is much more difficult than other squash varieties to break down; some grocery stores (Harris Teeter) have it near the mushroom section. If you find it, you will still need to cut those cubes into bite-sized cubes.

4. Add a couple generous pinches of salt. The Asiago cheese will add some saltiness at the end so don’t go overboard here. If the skillet contents look dried out, you can add more olive oil.

5. Cook the pasta in a medium pot of boiling water according to package directions.

6. Cut the mushrooms and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and add those to the skillet.

7. When pasta is ready, drain it in a colander. Meanwhile, make a hole in the middle of the skillet and melt the butter. Add the heavy cream and half of the Asiago cheese. Stir to combine it with the entire skillet. Add the pasta and the remaining Asiago cheese and stir to combine everything. If it looks too sticky, add more heavy cream to desired consistency.

8. Taste and add more salt, or pepper if you like, and serve! If you wish, garnish with some herbs like basil, savory, thyme, or sage.