Heat oven to 350.

Drizzle olive oil in a baking dish then place the honeynut squash halves skin down. Drizzle with more olive oil on top and cover with tinfoil. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until flesh is easily removed with a spoon.

(note: you do not have to roast the squash beforehand - if you prefer to peel the honeynut squash and chop it into small pieces you can absolutely cut out the roasting. I tend to roast because I loathe peeling squash and also I like the slightly sweeter flavor it brings out)

In a large soup pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the rosemary sprig and the chopped onion and garlic. Sautée until the onions become translucent. This step should smell amazing!!

Add in the roasted honeynut squash (scooping directly from the baking dish into the soup pot) and the pumpkin meat.

Heat 4 cups of water in the microwave with a bouillon cube. Give a quick stir to let the bouillon cube disintegrate into the water and then add the mixture to the soup. Add the remaining 4 cups of water a little at a time until the water just barely covers the squash. This is key! You don't want to add too much water or the soup will be too runny and annoying to eat (trust me). Better to add less water at the beginning and then add more if needed.

Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the rosemary sprigs. It is ok if some leaves are left behind, they will get blended into the soup.

Blend soup with an immersion blender until silky.

Add a little salt or and a few twists of the pepper mill to taste.

Drizzle with some olive oil when serving. If I am serving my husband I draw a little heart on top of the soup in olive oil. Yes, we are cheesy like that.

Speaking of cheese. A creamy goat cheese and a fresh baked baguette would make a beautiful lunch with this naturally slightly sweet soup.

Bon Appétit!