If social media hasn’t let you in on the secret yet….
IT’S FALL, YA’LL!
And for reasons other than pumpkin-everything, fall is my absolutely favorite time of the year.
It’s a chance to whip out hearty recipes like this one; even though it’s still 90 degrees outside.
So if you’re a blog reader from a part of the world that truly DOES get a fall, this recipe will be the perfect dish for those crisp and cool Sunday evenings. And if you’re like me, in an area of the world where fall is only in swing because the calendar says so, well, lower your AC and pretend. You won’t get a chance to look at fall leaves cascading down your window as you eat this gorgeous pasta sauce, but you can do your best to pretend. 😉
Butternut squash pasta sauce
This hearty, sweet, yet savory pasta sauce would be amazing over so many things other than pasta. I used potato gnocchi and sliced Italian turkey sausage for this recipe, but feel free to get creative with this versatile cream sauce (and don’t forget to send me pics of what you come up with!).
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, seeded, diced and steamed (you can also buy the steam-in-the-bag kind)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 large carrots, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
the juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped (save extra basil for a garnish)
1 fresh sage leaf, chopped
1 tsp. salt (reserve more to taste)
1 tsp. cracked black pepper (reserve more to taste)
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. raw honey
1/2 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Directions
In a sauce pan over medium heat, saute onions, carrots and celery in a bit of butter until soft. Add garlic and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add butternut squash, fresh herbs, honey, lemon juice and seasonings. Stir to combine, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour the contents into blender and blend until smooth. While still in the blender, add chicken stock. Blend to combine, then return to pot and reheat. When hot, remove from the stove top and stir in heavy cream. Serve over your favorite pasta with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese and basil ribbons. Enjoy!
YUM!!