Pasta sauce is something that I like to have on hand for a quick meal on a busy night and in the fall this butternut squash pasta sauce is a real treat! This sauce is super easy to make, you simply roast everything in the oven and then puree it! The main ingredient is the butternut squash, though you could also use pumpkin, buttercup/kabocha, or other winter squash, that’s tossed in oil and roasted along with an onion, tomatoes, garlic and goat cheese! There are plenty of variations of this sauce, and I like the depth of flavour that the roast tomatoes add, not to mention the sweet roasted garlic (that’s squeezed out of the skins after roasting). Goat cheese chevre adds an amazing creaminess but it’s completely optional; you can omit it or replace it with feta (that’s roasted) or parmesan, asiago, or pecorino, that’s simply added to the blender. Any way you make it, this butternut squash pasta sauce makes for super quick and easy pasta dinners that are divine!
You can make and use the sauce right away or store it in the freezer to enjoy all winter!
Roast Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
A simple and tasty roast butternut squash sauce with goat cheese!
ingredients
- 1 (2 pound) butternut squash, peeled seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 medium onion, peeled quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, in skin
- 4 ounces chevre (goat cheese) (optional) *
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, thinly sliced **
- 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
directions
- Toss the butternut squash with the oil, salt and pepper before spreading out in a single layer on a baking sheet, along with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and goat cheese.
- Roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until the butternut squash tender, about 20-30 minutes, mixing half way through.
- Place everything into a blender (squeezing the garlic out of the skins) and puree. ***
Option: * You can omit the cheese or replace it with feta (and roast it with everything else), or 1/4 cup parmesan, asiago, pecorino, blue cheese, etc, all of which are NOT roasted, but added to the blender to puree with the sauce.
Option: ** Sage works really well in this sauce but you could also use thyme or rosemary.
Note: *** The tomatoes should provide enough liquid to puree in the blender but you can add water (or broth) as desired.
Option: Add (or replace) the tomato with a red pepper!
Option: Add an apple or pear! Dice it and roast it with everything else!
Option: Add a splash of chili sauce (such as sriracha)!
Tip: Cook pasta, as directed on the package, reserving some of the water that the pasta was cooked in, and toss with the butternut sauce, along with enough of the reserved cooking water, to get the sauce to the desired consistency.
Tip: Store in the fridge and use in a few days or in the freezer for longer.
Option: Serve pasta topped with browned butter, crispy sage and walnuts! (Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan, let it start to just turn brown before adding 2 tablespoons thinly sliced sage and 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts, and cooking for a minute.)
Option: Serve pasta garnished with crispy fried bacon, pancetta or prosciutto!
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interesting tweak to a pasta sauce, at least for me, it’s always nice for me to take a break from purely tomato based pasta sauces, so thank you!
What are some creative ways to use roast butternut squash pasta sauce in dishes?
I like to toss it with pasta or gnocchi for a quick meal! It’s also great over pan seared chicken or pork chops. Another great way to enjoy it is in a lasagna!