Contrary to popular belief I don’t just sit over here and eat dessert and candy and goodies all day. Except if we are talking about yesterday, because…yeah…that’s all I ate.
As several friends and I feasted on the last of those Zinfandel Port Balls yesterday….let’s just say it was a DANG GOOD afternoon. Enough said.
I have been in the mood for butternut squash again but craved it in a different form. This Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce was exactly what I wanted.
I added fresh sage and bacon to the sauce because that’s what I had in the fridge. However, it was also good plain. I think a crumbly-spicy sausage would also be a good, flavorful addition.
Here is what you will need: Butternut squash, extra-virgin olive oil, dried sage, coarse salt, ground pepper, garlic, heavy cream and whole milk. Fresh sage and bacon are optional.
Cube 1-1/2 pounds butternut squash, cutting squash into 2-inch chunks. Toss the squash with 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon dried sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to a rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Add 7 cloves of garlic to the baking sheet with the peel on, scatter around the squash. Roast the squash and garlic in a 375 degree oven until very tender, about 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and discard the peel from the garlic.
Transfer the squash and roasted garlic to a food processor and begin pureeing. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup whole milk through the feed tube. Process the mixture until smooth.
At this point taste the sauce and season to your liking with salt and pepper.
This sauce is yummy, creamy and thick. It also freezes well.
I chose a rotini pasta because I knew it would hold the sauce well.
I fried up some bacon while the pasta was cooking and chopped up some fresh sage as well.
I’m going to try it with spicy sausage and mushrooms next. Yum.
Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce
1-1/2 pounds butternut squash, cubed
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, peel on
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
coarse salt and ground pepper
Toppings such as fresh sage and bacon are optional
Cube butternut squash, cutting squash into 2-inch chunks. Toss the squash with extra-virgin olive oil and dried sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to a rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Add garlic to the baking sheet with the peel on, scatter around the squash. Roast the squash and garlic in a 375 degree oven until very tender, about 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and discard the peel from the garlic.
Transfer the squash and roasted garlic to a food processor and begin pureeing. With the motor running, add heavy cream and whole milk through the feed tube. Process the mixture until smooth. At this point taste the sauce and season to your liking with salt and pepper.
Cook your pasta accoring to package directions and add whatever toppings you like. Enjoy!
HoneyB says
OH YUM!
Christie @ fig&cherry says
Great photos Cathy! Hey, is that a slice of blood orange in the back? I miss them now that the season is over in Sydney ;(
Mental P Mama says
I could eat that for breakfast. Right now;)
Barbie with a T says
Now, this dish is something that I have never tried, nor even ever heard of. But I do like butternut squash, in fact all squashes. So I might just give it a try. Anything even slightly resembling Italian, I know I will like. And this dish has pasta, olive oil, and garlic. I might think about adding Italian sausage and basil to it another time. Thanks for this recipe!
Danielle says
Oh wow, this looks fabulous! I love butternut squash! I am definitely going to make this!
Thanks for your nice comments on my blog! Hey, if you don’t think I’m a stalker or anything, I’d love to get your address. Don’t worry, I live too far away to drop in, lol!
nina says
Oh wow, those sage leaves look real. Stunning recipe and beautiful pics too!!
curlywurlygurly says
cathy, your recipes and pictures always make my mouth water. i was visiting another blog i frequent and the woman is hosting a cookie recipe contest–you could probably win it easily with one of your recipes. (i’m not trying to spam or self-promote with this link!)if you want to enter, visit http://thedailydish.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/its-beginning-to-smell-a-lot-like-christmas/#comment-1879
Asthmagirl says
I want so badly to like squash. It falls in the same category as cucumbers. I keep trying it, but it never works! This is a beautiful presentation though!
Stephanie says
What do you mean “bacon is optional”? I could see doing a triple sauce presentation, this sauce, a pesto, and a tomato sauce. Wouldn’t that be tasty & beautiful?
marcy says
that sounds very good. My hubby loves butternut squash. this recipe sounds like it would go wonderful over whole wheat pasta.
Alisa says
I like this pasta sauce better than the one I tried! Can’t wait til grocery day. I can not get enough butternut squash this year.
I wonder if my kids will recall the “year Mom went crazy with the butternut squash” the same way I recall my Mom’s year of Weight Watchers?
Jennifer says
Oh this looks so good…especially on a day when it’s cloudy and cold here! And anything with bacon is awesome. I’m so making this…
Donalyn says
Beautiful Cathy – I can’t wait to try this!
Jennifer says
I’m havaing squah cravings too! And I will most definitely keep the bacon in!
marcy says
Not sure if you will actually do this or not, but I have an award waiting for you on my blog:)
Flea says
I have a couple of acorn squash sitting around. I think they want to become this dish very soon. Looks yummy!
MissGreenTea says
Yum – the spicy sausage and mushrooms with this sauce would be divine! Great recipe to try…looks and sounds delicious.
Bob says
That looks delicious. Good plate job too, I can’t plate to save my life. Course, all the fancy plating you want wouldn’t be worth much in a Spaghettios bowl. đŸ™‚
Psychgrad says
Neat! With all of the uses of butternut squash that I have seen lately, I’m pretty sure that this is the first time I’ve seen it used as a pasta sauce.
KitchenKiki says
That looks great! I love butternut squash especially in savory pasta dishes. Yum!
I’m not a bacon gal, I may go with the sausage idea!
Stacey Snacks says
Cath,
I make a fabulous butternut squash/sausage and sage recipe, that is a winner every time!
Love this!
Stacey Snacks
Liz C. says
Sheer, simple genius in the form of food. This is truly a beautiful recipe that I will definitely try.
Maybe you should write a cookbook called 100 Ways To Love Squash. I’d buy it! It’s not easy admitting to being a Potato-Ho AND a Squash Slut… But there it is… I’m out of the closet now.
ELRA says
Pasta look really delicious, Cathy. I love the way you dress them too, making more virtually palatable.
Cheers,
Elra
Kristy - Where's My Damn Answer says
oh … I bet the sage was an awesome addition đŸ˜€
Cheryl says
What a stunning color! I’d love to paint my dining room “Butternut Squash Orange!”
(Hey, and the next time you have a port ball feast, let me know. I’ll make a batch here and we can do a bi-coastal virtual port-ball party!)
Katrina says
YUM! I did something similar once as a sauce for pasta and my kids and husband didn’t really like it. I LOVE IT! (Your sauce looks a lot better than mine was, that could be why!) đŸ˜‰
Loving Annie says
Oh Cathy, that looks and sounds great ! I think I’ll try it with chives instead of sage…
RobinSue says
More fun with Butternut Squash! I love this vegetable, it can do so many things from sweet to savory. Thanks for another great recipe.
Pam says
Eating the port balls with good friends sounds like a wonderful afternoon!
The pasta sauce is beautiful! Love the orange color – I never thought to turn roasted butternut squash into a sauce. You are so clever Cathy.
Egghead says
I would have never thought of a sauce from squash. Sounds good. Great photos by the way.
Rachel (S[d]OC) says
What beautiful colors in this pasta. Can’t go wrong with bacon.
Don Mills Diva says
I am absolutely going to try this – I’m always looking for new, healthy and easy dinner ideas that I know Graham will eat!
tipper says
Perfect for a weeknight supper!
KathyB. says
I made the Zinfandel Port Balls, and they are every bit as delicious as described!
Thank-you! How do you come up with all these delicious recipes and variations of others ? Are you sure those are really pictures of YOU with the Hooligans, you eat too well to be so tiny!Oh, that’s right, you’re also very busy keeping up with the Hooligans, that explains it……
BornClicker says
What could be substituted for sage? My husband is allergic to that and ginger, among other things.
Cathy says
Basil or parsley.
Karen Deborah says
I have a butternut squash in the fridge there is no excuse. Now where is that ginger cookie recipe?
dawn says
I will gladly sit around with you and eat port balls all day….I have no problem with that at all. I can easily clear my calendar for something as important as that.
Love this sauce!
Dr. John says
That really does look tasty. If only there were more than Betty and I to eat it.
Jesse says
Wow, the dish looks so vibrant!! I can almost taste it just by looking at your pictures… mmm!
Kate says
Now you’re talkin’!! Awesome!
Blond Duck says
That sounds really good! I love pasta dishes!
Rosa says
This looks wonderful!
Linda says
Ah man, I’m a day late … I had some pumpkin that I bet would have worked great in this recipe. But yesterday I turned it into soup. Good soup, but now that I saw your recipe I want pasta!
Erinn says
Vibrant, gorgeous and I’m guessing DELICIOUS!
Karen Deborah says
OK we are having a party Saturday night and this is what I am serving along with the ginger cookies and the port cookies, my beet salad with warmed goat cheese, warmed sourdough bread and; the dilemma is the garnish. I do not want to spend $6 on bacon and $for fresh sage to just garnish. So what else? would basil taste totally weird? Maybe just some fresh sprigs of parsley? How about slices of apple? Help me out what around the kitchen that will work with these flavors and not add an unnecessary 10 extra bucks to the dish?
You can do this I know you your brilliant, you need to publish a cookbook.
MODman says
I just linked to your blog from Chaos in the Kitchen. I think I just found a new favorite food blog.
Marc @ NoRecipes says
Sorry I haven’t been around much to comment. I love the way you plated the pasta. And with bacon and roasted butternut squash you just can’t go wrong:-)
TSannie/annbb says
That has my name written all over it! YUM!!!
shonda says
Wonder if sweet potato would work well?
Also, Audrey died in a car accident.
kimberleyblue says
I wish I would have seen this last night! I came home, all prepared to make a squash lasagna, just to see there wasn’t enough noodles (and it’s waaay too cold out to want to head back outside) – I was considering just doing another pasta dish with my squash, and this one would’ve definitely convinced me!
The addition of bacon (or sausage) would make it fantastic. Nice!
Meghan says
I can’t wait to try this! There is a restaurant by my house that serves butternut-squash raviolis and they are to die for. I love butternut-squash anything!
Scary Mommy says
Oh wow, this looks amazing. YUMMMMMMMM!!!
claudia (cook eat FRET) says
this looks absolutely delicious
i would so like this for lunch today
the photos popped out and hit me in the eyeball, i swear…
yolanda says
I love the photos and I think you could be the next Pioneer Women.
grace says
gorgeous. on the rare occasions that i take a break from my candy-eating, this will be a nice alternative…assuming i can still have dessert. đŸ™‚
Heather says
I made this tonight and added a little cinnamon for warmth and put it over corn pasta (I’m gluten-intolerant). It is amazing! I think I’ll add some sun-dried tomatoes to it next time for a little something extra, but I REALLY enjoyed the taste!
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