1 butternut squash - approx 3 lbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound ground Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram

1 tablespoon fresh sage

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375°. Split the squash lengthwise; place in a greased casserole dish, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven. When cool, remove seeds, strings and peel, then dice into 1-inch cubes.

In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage and onion. Drain.

Heat chicken broth, marjoram, sage, and oregano to boiling. Add squash cubes and browned sausage and onion. Reduce heat; simmer for 1 hour.

Stir in heavy cream; return to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree entire mixture. Serve.

Notebook...