Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

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This creamy butternut squash pasta sauce is silky, savory, and filled with fall flavor. Roasted butternut squash, shallot, garlic, fresh sage, Parmesan, broth, and cream blend into a rich golden sauce that's easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

pureeing5

Total Time1 20

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

Ingredients

3 pounds whole butternut squash or 2 pounds prepared/cubed raw
1 large shallot 4 ounces
3 large garlic cloves peeled, left whole
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
¾ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 fresh sage leaves
1 ¼ cups chicken broth vegetable broth or turkey broth
¼ cup fine grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup heavy cream see notes for dairy-free below

Instructions

Prep the squash and vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Peel the shallot and cut into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves. Toss in a bowl with the oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast

Add the vegetables to the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread into a single layer. Roast until tender with lightly browned edges, about 1 hour, adding the sage leaves in the last 10 minutes. Squash should be completely tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, and just starting to brown at the edges.

Blend the sauce

Transfer the roasted squash, shallot, garlic, and sage to a high-speed blender. Add ¾ cup of the broth and begin blending. The mixture will be very thick at first.
Stop the blender, scrape down the sides, and continue blending, adding more of the broth gradually to help get the blades moving. You may need to stop and scrape the container down several times. Keep working the mixture until it begins to puree, then add the Parmesan and cream and continue blending until the sauce is smooth and silky.

Taste and finish the sauce

Taste and adjust with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add a little more cream or broth as needed for flavor and consistency. The sauce is intentionally thick and can be thinned with hot pasta cooking water when serving.

Notes

A thick, creamy butternut squash sauce pairs well with pasta shapes that give the sauce plenty to cling to. Try short shapes such as rigatoni, penne, rotini, or other spirals, or use fettuccine and other ribbon pastas. It’s also a delicious sauce for filled pastas such as ravioli or tortellini, as well as gnocchi or gnudi.

Nutrition