Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve butternut crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard. (or use frozen)

Cut butternut into 5 cm chunks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage; season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes (less if you are using frozen butternut, tossing once halfway through. Remove and discard skin from garlic.

Transfer butternut and garlic to a food processor; puree. With motor running, add your Orly/water mix or milk through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt. (To freeze, see below.)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary. Serve with desired toppings.

You can leave out the sage if you don’t have in your cupboard, the butternut will taste just as good, but you will need to add some extra flavour, turmeric or curry would be good.