Butternut Squash is the vegetable of the season in fall. Since, I just made a batch of Roasted Butternut Squash which was a simple and direct way of preparing the vegetable, I thought I’d show you another way of incorporating the winter veggie in dish. Butternut Squash Puree.
Most children and adults alike (my husband for one) aren’t open to trying different vegetables. By pureeing the butternut squash, you can add it into rice, pasta, soups, meatballs etc. for healthy serving of vegetables the wouldn’t even notice. As I was making the roasted butternut squash puree for my pasta sauce, my daughter comes over and says “Is that what’s for dinner?”and makes a face, but when the pasta was up for dinner she gave it a try and said that she really liked it.
This is really a simple sauce for pasta using butternut squash puree as a base. I used home-made roasted butternut squash (see recipe here), but you can buy it at the store or use pumpkin puree (not pie filling!) instead.
**Also See: Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash
Pasta with Butternut Squash Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients:
16 oz Pasta (cooked according the instructions on packet)
5-6 strips bacon
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup roasted butternut squash puree (see recipe here)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp fresh sage
1 cup grated cheese (mild cheddar)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan shavings (garnish)
Method:
– Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet and reserve about a cup of the pasta water before draining it.
– In a food processor, puree some roasted butternut squash with the help of some water until it’s smooth and lump free.
– In a deep pan, fry the bacon strips until crisp. Once crispy, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Roughly chop the bacon into bits for the garnish later.
– Drain some of the grease in the pan, keeping about a tablespoon or so and add the minced garlic to it. Saute the garlic for about a minute.
-Add the butternut squash puree and stir it around.
– Pour in a cup of heavy cream and lower the heat to medium -low and stir until all the squash is incorporated into the cream. Let the sauce come to a low simmer.
– Cut some fresh sage and add it to the sauce.
– Then season the sauce well with salt & pepper, tasting as you go.
– Once the sauce comes to a low bubble, add the cheese and mix well. The sauce will get quite thick, but don’t worry.
– Use some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce till it reaches the consistency you’d like.
-Then simply toss in the pasta and gently fold it in the sauce.
– Garnish with fresh sage, bacon bits and Parmesan cheese shavings.