It makes me gleefully giddy to open the fridge and find a fresh, healthy pasta sauce just waiting to be tossed with some penne or fettuccine and some fresh veggies. This creamy (but cream-less) vegetarian, even vegan, sauce is made of roasted butternut squash and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Now, there is nothing wrong with eggs or pancakes for dinner, especially on a night when we’re wearing a path in the road, driving between soccer practice and kung-fu class. However, it makes me feel rather Martha-like knowing that I have a jar of homemade pasta sauce in the fridge.
The butternut squash is simply roasted with olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. If you want to make the process even easier, pick up some pre-peeled and cut butternut squash from Costco or your local grocery store.
As you can see from the picture, I made the sauce rather thick. If you would prefer a thinner sauce, simply add a little more vegetable broth to the mix, either while processing it in the blender or after the sauce chills in the fridge (if you choose to do so). A splash of balsamic vinegar cuts the sweetness of the butternut squash and adds a depth of flavor to the sauce.
When you’re ready to use the sauce, simply warm it in a saucepan set over medium-low heat.
One of my favorite pairings with butternut squash (a classic one…I can’t take credit for this one) is toasted hazelnuts and chopped, fresh sage. Add some chicken, or perhaps some chickpeas or cannellini beans, to round out the meal.
The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
On a large baking sheet, toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Bake until the butternut squash is tender and just starting to brown in places.
Let the squash cool for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the squash to a food processor or heavy-duty blender, and add the vegetable broth. Puree until smooth.
Add the balsamic vinegar and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve as a pasta sauce, or as a sauce for chicken, pork or fish.
Other butternut squash recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa
Cookin’ Canuck’s Baked Tortellini with Turkey, Butternut Squash & Chard
Smitten Kitchen’s Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad
Two Peas and Their Pod’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Poor Girls Eats Well’s Herbed Quinoa Risotto with Butternut Squash & Sweet Peas
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (or more) vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss the butternut squash cubes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Bake until the butternut squash is tender and just starting to brown in places.
- Let the squash cool for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the squash to a food processor or heavy-duty blender, and add the vegetable broth. Puree until smooth.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and pulse to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Serve this as a pasta sauce, or as a sauce for chicken, pork or fish.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Such a gorgeous recipe, Dara!
We recently had a butternut squash sauce on pizza during the Dairy Tour in Cleveland – it was incredible and I can’t wait to recreate at home. This version looks delish!
Mmmm.. this sounds like the ideal fall pasta sauce. I can hear my tummy grumbling, just reading about it :p and not to mention, look at that pop of colour … yum! yum! yum!
Although I’ve often used the easy Costco container, last week I cut up a squash and wondered why I had made such a big deal out of it! I love butternut squash and as much love pasta with toppings far removed from tomato…will have to try this Dara, looks wonderful.
I love having a stash of sauce in the fridge and this looks super easy. I’m going to try it with pumpkin since that’s whats sitting on my counter!
That looks gorgeous, I love the color of butternut. I have never tried it on pasta… must. do. so. today.
Delicious- this looks amazing!
Such a great recipe! I love the simplicity and versality of it…. and gorgeous pictures too
This would even be perfect baby food
Love this!
Dara, this looks so fantastic! I want some now … looks easy, too! xo
This sauce looks amazing! Butternut squash and balsamic are two of my favorite things!
What a fabulous sauce! Going on the dinner menu for next week right now!
Awesome! I make a simplified, throw-stuff-together version of this all the time. Love butternut squash!
I was just about to venture forth online and look up a pumpkin pasta sauce, but, lucky me, I saw this come through on Twitter! I need a simple pumpkin or butternut sauce for a crockpot pumpkin lasagna recipe I’m posting in a few days on my blog. My local grocery carries a seasonal pumpkin pasta sauce that’s pretty good, but I wanted anyone to be able to make the recipe, even if they can’t (or don’t want to) buy a specialty sauce. Thanks so much!
I love this idea. My two eldest, who are vegetarian, will be coming home from university soon for a visit and I can’t wait to make this for them. I hope that Costco starts getting butternut squash in soon since that is the cheapest way to by it here in the islands.
I love the look of this and it’s simplicity is what attracts me. That and the fact my wife went vegan a few months back so I’m always looking for great ideas. I use a puree like this to make butternut squash risotto but I never considered pasta and I think I’m going to try this sauce with some mirepoix and cannelloni beans and come up with some sort of casserole.
Brilliant recipe! I love butternut squash sauce on pasta and yours with balsamic sounds wonderful! I may even try it with pumpkin, as we roasted an enormous one last night and have tons of pumpkin puree to use up. Great thinking!
Butternut squash with sage is a classic because it’s just so darn good; so why mess with it? Love this sauce it’s so healthy, so colorful, and looks tasty too.
You’ve done it again! Another must make! And the photo is so pretty. I feel like I say that all that time, but it’s always true!
Thanks so much for the recipe and the links! Lots of butternut squash at local farm markets these days. We’re going through at least one a week!
I just made this with pumpkin I baked. It’s amazing!!!! I’ve had butternut squash soup before, but I never made the connection between thick, creamy soup and a delicious pasta sauce
. Thanks for this simple, flavorful, colorful, autumnal recipe.
wow! this is really perfect. i need to try this recipe asap!
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