Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce

Name: Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage; Coarse salt and ground pepper; 5 cloves garlic, peel on; 1 cup half-and-half; Pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta), for serving; Toppings, such as grated Parmesan cheese, chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage

209 Ratings
8 Reviews

A smooth, creamy sauce comes together quickly when seasoned butternut squash and garlic are pureed in a food processor with water.

Everyday Food, October 2006

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Recipe Summary

prep:

20 mins

total:

1 hr

Servings:

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 cloves garlic, peel on
1 cup half-and-half
Pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta), for serving
Toppings, such as grated Parmesan cheese, chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.

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Step 2
Cut squash into 2-inch chunks; transfer 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.
Step 3
Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree. With motor running, add half-and-half through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt. (To freeze, see below.)
Step 4
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. Serve with desired toppings.

Cook's Notes

To freeze: cool sauce to room temperature; transfer to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of space. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, place plastic containers upside-down under hot tap water to help release frozen blocks of sauce. Place blocks in a large saucepan; cover and reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin if necessary.

Reviews (8)

209 Ratings

5 star values: 51
4 star values: 58
3 star values: 59
2 star values: 33
1 star values: 8

Martha Stewart Member

01/17/2015

I loved this -- but the page didn't include instructions for freezing the sauce as was mentioned.

Martha Stewart Member

12/11/2013

Loved this recipe! Only change I made was to simmer rosemary (rather than sage) in the half & half before adding to the squash. Lots of flavor for so little work. My favorite kind of recipe.

Martha Stewart Member

11/03/2013

Oh, Sweet Mama! This sauce was divine. We didn't change a thing. We rate recipes on a 4 star scale, and seriously, this got 6 stars. And bonus...there was enough to freeze! My only question is, can you can this? I linked this to my Facebook page, and told quite a few people about it. Thank you!

Martha Stewart Member

08/29/2012

This is a great sauce! I made it yesterday and used it tonight. I heated 1 cup of the sauce with 1 cup water (next time I might use vegetable stock) and it was enough sauce for a pound of ravioli. I still have enough for 2 additional meals! I love that! The roasted garlic is a great part of this sauce. I might even use the mashed squash and garlic as a side dish! it was great without the half and half ( I saved a bit to serve my 12 month old!). I'll be enjoying this all autumn long!!

Martha Stewart Member

11/16/2010

I made this sauce tonight and served over whole wheat spaghetti. I added a tad more garlic and replaced sage with rosemary. Very yummy, a great fall pasta!

Martha Stewart Member

11/16/2010

I made this sauce tonight and served over whole wheat spaghetti. I added a tad more garlic and replaced sage with rosemary. Very yummy, a great fall pasta!

Martha Stewart Member

10/26/2010

I just finished making the sauce for our ravioli tonight. After reading the recipe, I had already decided to use chicken stock instead of the 1 to 2 cups water. It still was a little bland so I added 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. That made It is great. I can't wait for dinner.

Martha Stewart Member

10/21/2010

I roasted a few apples with butter and cinnamon in a shallow dish of water for dessert in the same oven as the squash. I used the apple water to thin the sauce. WOW! What a great sweet and savory fall dish!

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Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce

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Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Notes

Reviews (8)

All Reviews for Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce

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Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Notes

Reviews (8)

All Reviews for Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce