Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove and discard ends from squash, then cut in half and remove and discard seeds. Spray with Colavita Avocado Oil Spray and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until fully softened and beginning to brown, 35-45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

If making the crispy sage topping, heat ½ cup Colavita Premium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Fry sage leaves until they stop sizzling, then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine ⅓ cup Colavita Premium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil with onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sage, and continue to cook until just beginning to brown.

When squash is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard skin. Place squash in the saucepan with onions, and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook Colavita Mezzi Rigatoni one minute shy of al dente. Reserve pasta water and set aside cooked pasta.

Add at least 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the saucepan with the butternut squash mixer, and use an immersion blender or standard blender to puree to a smooth sauce. If needed, add additional pasta water until desired consistency is achieved. Add ½ cup parmesan cheese, and continue to blend until smooth.

Combine the pasta and sauce in the saucepan and return to medium heat, cooking until the pasta reaches the desired consistency and adding more pasta water as needed. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid – don’t be afraid to continue adding pasta water, as this helps with the creamy consistency.

Serve pasta immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese and crispy sage leaves.

If you prefer to make a smaller portion, you can cook ½ lb of pasta. Save half of the quantity of sauce at step 6 in a jar for future use. Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months, then resume recipe at step 7.