dinner

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Things I love about fall: scarves, boots and butternut squash pasta sauce. Oh ya, and there’s the incredibly-gorgeous-everywhere-you-look thing too.

Fall happens to be my favorite season of the year. Not only is it beautiful and the perfect temperature, but there’s a continual supply of delicious food around here.

A.K.A. butternut squash.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
I’ll admit, I used to be extremely intimidated by squash. It’s one thing when you buy the over-priced, pre-cut, cooked and packaged stuff from the store. However, when you start handing me human-baby-sized gourds complete with prickly stems the size of my arm, well…that’s where the panic sets in.

But, the other day I decided to face my fear. Adorned with a very sharp knife, (the Dora bandaid on my finger is proof…) I conquered that squash like I’d done it a million times before.

And this was the delicious, fall-infused result:

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 cups of pasta sauce, serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (+ more for sautéing)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peel on
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1-2 cups pasta water
  • ½ tsp. dried rosemary
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Whole-wheat pasta (3-4 cups dry)
  • Toppings: parmesan cheese, chopped walnuts, fresh sage (minced)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the ends off of the squash and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Cut it in half down the middle and carve out the seeds with a spoon.
  2. Cut the squash into small cubes and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Place the cubes on a baking sheet covered with tin foil and scatter the garlic around squash. (Keep the peels on!) Place in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until squash is very tender. Remove the skin from the garlic and discard.
  4. While the squash is in the oven, cook the pasta. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and set aside.
  5. In a medium skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions on low until translucent and soft.
  6. Transfer the squash, garlic and onions to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the half-and-half, pasta water (start with 1 cup and add until desired consistency), rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to mix until very smooth and creamy.
  7. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and mix until coated. Generously season with salt and pepper and top with toppings of your choice. (I would highly recommend fresh sage, Parmesan cheese and walnuts for a crunch…)

Notes

*Notes: Don’t be shy with that salt and pepper! It really brings the flavor out in this dish.

*This pasta sauce can be frozen and re-heated for up to two months.

https://www.kiwiandcarrot.com/butternut-squash-pasta-sauce/

Want more tasty recipes for fall? Check out these Pumpkin Pancakes with Vanilla Nutmeg Syrup, or these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutmeg Buttercream Frosting! 

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2 Comments

  • Reply Ginger October 9, 2015 at 9:02 pm

    Oh, this sounds so yummy and healthy!

  • Reply Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto October 19, 2015 at 8:35 am

    Yes you totally need a SUPER sharp knife to deal with squash. I love cooking with it but hating having to cut it up! This looks delicious – I’ve got a similar recipe on my blog using pumpkin and sage!

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