Rich and satisfying like a meat sauce but somehow also lighter at the same time, this will work at any time of the year. One average-sized butternut squash should make enough sauce for four people, and if you use vegetable stock and don’t garnish with bacon, then it’s suitable for vegetarians. Aside from all that there are very few ingredients at all, it takes little time to make and can be made ahead.
Butternut Pasta Sauce
Luscious, nutty and sweet, this is a great (potentially vegan/vegetarian) alternative to the usual tomato- or meat-based pasta sauce.
- April 12, 2020
- 2 Servings
- 30 min
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Ingredients
- Half a butternut squash (about 500g)
- 1 onion
- 4 sage leaves
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, to taste
- 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- Garnish, such as Parmesan, Parma ham or pine nuts
Directions
- Step 1
- Peel the squash and chop into pieces about an inch wide.
- Step 2
- Finely dice the onion and, in a pan with a lid, fry on a medium heat in a little oil till soft and not coloured.
- Step 3
- Mince or finely chop the garlic. Finely chop two of the sage leaves. Add them, the chilli flakes and the squash to the pan and cook for a further five minutes till the garlic is cooked but not brown at all.
- Step 4
- Add enough stock to cover everything. Put the lid on the pan and cook till the squash will squish down with a fork (around 20 minutes). Then turn the heat off.
- Step 5
- Take half of the mixture out of the pan and out into a bowl. Press down with a fork on the squash pieces (or just squish in your hand), so that they break apart but still have some texture.
- Step 6
- Purée the other half of the mixture in a blender until smooth, then combine both halves back into the pan. Finely chop the remaining sage and add to the sauce.
- Step 7
- If your sauce seems a little wet, cook off a little so that some of the water evaporates. Or, if dry, add a little of any leftover stock or water.
- Step 8
- Cook your pasta as per the instructions. Warm the sauce so that it’s hot when your pasta is cooked and combine.
- Step 9
- Garnish. Grated Parmesan is great. For a new texture and more nuttiness, lightly toast some pine nuts and scatter on top. Or, crisped bacon or Parma ham is lovely. On a piece of baking paper twice the size of the bacon/ham lay the bacon on one side and fold over the other half of the paper. Then put on a baking tray and place another on top. Put into an oven at 200 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until the bacon is crisped and will break into shards or crumbs. Scatter of the finished pasta dish.
