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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

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5 from 2 reviews

This Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is the perfect way to add a full serving of veggies to a delicious, satisfying pasta dish. It’s creamy vegetarian comfort food at its absolute finest, and where other squash ravioli recipes fall a bit flat, this one stands out with a combination of roasted garlic, sage, and thyme.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Garnish

  • fresh chopped parsley
  • shredded Parmesan cheese
  • toasted walnuts

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash. Slice it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds/guts, and discard.
  3. Place garlic inside a small piece of tin foil and drizzle it with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Season garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap foil around garlic sealing it inside.
  4. Season squash with thyme, sage, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
  5. Roast for 50 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
  6. While the squash is roasting, cook ravioli according to package directions until al dente. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
  7. Allow squash and garlic to cool until you can handle them.
  8. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, and transfer the flesh to a high-speed blender. Squeeze garlic from its skin and add it to the blender as well. Add veggie broth and blend until smooth and creamy. 
  9. Pour into a saute pan and heat over medium-low for 5 minutes or until heated through.
  10. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream.
  11. Add vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper and add cooked ravioli.
  12. Serve with ravioli and garnish with parsley, Parmesan, and toasted walnuts.

Equipment

Notes

For a more mild flavor, roast just one head of garlic to this butternut squash ravioli sauce. I LOVE garlic and I find that what most squash cream sauce recipes are missing is flavor! The roasted garlic in this recipe brings out the natural sweetness of the squash so I highly recommend using both heads of garlic.

This is a great make-ahead sauce so you’ve got a quick and easy dinner option at your fingertips! You can pour this into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week. If you have leftovers or are really planning ahead, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Loosen under hot tap water, transfer to a saucepan, and warm on the stove with an extra pinch of salt and pepper.

Any type of regular or filled pasta will work for this sauce! I like to use Giovanni Rana, for a high-quality ravioli that boils to perfection in just 4 minutes. But you can use your family’s favorite or whatever you have on hand! Rotini, penne, linguine, or fettuccine will all allow the sauce to cling to every nook and cranny!

Don’t forget to salt your pasta water! This is your only chance to season the pasta itself, and a hearty amount of Kosher salt – like 1-2 tablespoons – added to your pasta water just after it comes to a boil is going to go a long way in boosting the overall flavors of the dish! Once you start salting your pasta water, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!