Roasted butternut & mascarpone pasta sauce with mushrooms

Roasted butternut mascarpone pasta sauce with mushrooms is a creamy and flavorful sauce that elevates any pasta dish. The sauce is made by roasting butternut squash until tender and blending it with mascarpone cheese, creating a velvety and luscious base. Sautéed mushrooms add an earthy and savory element, while a touch of herbs and spices enhances the overall flavor. Tossed with your favorite pasta, this sauce is a comforting and satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut, peeled and diced fairly small (about 4 heaped cups)
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 150gms-200gms mascarpone
• 250ml (1 cup) vegetable or chicken stock
• 30gms butter
• 300gm mixed mushrooms of your choice such as shiitake, porcini, enoki, Portobello, sliced
• 1 stalk of fresh thyme and 2tsp of stripped thyme leaves
• 300– 350 gms dried tagliatelle pasta (or other long pasta of your choice)
• Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
• Toasted pumpkin seeds to serve (optional)
• Fried sage leaves to serve (optional)
• Salt & black pepper