Put a pot of water on to boil, adding salt to the water, if desired. While the water heats up, wash and lightly scrub your delicata squash; since the skin is edible, delicata squash doesn't need to be peeled, so we want to make sure the outside is clean enough to eat.

Once clean, cut off the top & bottom then cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and innards, and either set aside the seeds to clean and roast or discard everything (just like pumpkin seeds, delicata squash seeds are totally edible once cooked!).

Next slice each squash half lengthwise into four to six long pieces, so you have eight to ten pieces in total. These long pieces will be much easier to cut into oblong cubes, so hold each half together so that you're cutting all four long pieces at once, and chop each half into cubes.

Once the squash is all cut, your water should be ready to add the pasta, so pour in your pasta and set a timer according to the package instructions.

Set the squash aside and grate your garlic and wash then chop your kale, taking care to remove the tough spines; if using baby kale, no need to prep it at all.

Drain the pasta completely and return it to the hot cooking pot once done, and put the baby kale or chopped kale on top of the hot pasta to let it wilt, stirring it in with the pasta after a minute or two to even further soften it.

In a large pan with tall sides, add the butter over medium-low heat and allow it to melt and start browning (about 2 minutes), then add the grated garlic and whole sage leaves and brown for 2 more minutes before adding all the squash pieces.

Cook the cubed squash in the garlic sage butter for 20-25 minutes, letting the squash brown and start to get golden, turning the heat off once the squash is fork-tender and lightly browned. Keep the pan on the hot burner.Sprinkle on the paprika and nigella (if using) and the sea salt, then add the ricotta cheese, wilted kale, and pasta and stir everything well, allowing the cheese to warm up and mix with the squash, letting it sit for a couple minutes, if needed. Serve hot.