Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Whether it's a time of year that you are craving comfort foods or you just want to add variety to your traditional red sauce/white sauce pasta choices, this recipe fits the bill!
Important note: If you haven't cooked squash before, it's NOT all the same!  Different varieties have distinctive flavors.  This recipe calls for BUTTERNUT squash.

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
coarse salt and pepper
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup milk
1-2 cups broth
Pasta, for serving (such as ravioli or any short pasta - NOT Spaghetti noodles)
Parmesan cheese


Directions
Preheat oven to 375.

Using a large, sharp knife, trim the squash ends, then halve the squash crosswise to separate the bulb from the neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard. Cut squash into 2-inch chunks.

Transfer chunks of squash to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove and discard skin from garlic.

Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor. Puree. With motor running, add milk through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups broth. Continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again with salt. (To freeze, see below).

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary.

Once you've tossed the pasta with the sauce, serve it topped with any or all of the following: Toasted Walnuts, additional parmesan cheese, Torn fresh sage leaves.


Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

No comments: