Autumn Baked Butternut Squash

1 pound butternut squash
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bake squash whole until completely softened, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter, brown sugar and sage in a small sauce pan. Add the apples and cook until tender.
4. Remove the squash from the oven, cut in half and remove the seeds.
5. Carefully scoop out the squash flesh into a large bowl and add the apples to this.
6. Mash the mixture, then stir in the pecans and season with pepper.
7. Transfer the mashed squash and apple back to one half of the squash skin and return to the oven to bake until the top lightly browns, about 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings