This is a rich, silky sauce with a glorious golden hue and is an absolutely luscious pairing with cheese tortellini. Roasted butternut squash is transformed into a savory sauce, compliments of sage, marjoram, and thyme. Perfect for tossing with hot pasta and splendid for fall dining!
There are weeks that my menu planning takes its own course and after loading up on winter squash, this is one of those weeks. Roasting butternut squash is so simple. Though it’s wonderful served in a simplistic form, there are so many ways you can enjoy this fall favorite.
Take roasted butternut squash and add a touch of garlic plus some sage, marjoram, and thyme along with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Purée everything together with chicken stock plus half and half and you’ve got a simple yet quite spectacular pasta sauce.
If you’re roasting squash, roast extra and pop some in the freezer – it’s great for soup, for sides, and for sauces. And this pasta sauce comes together quickly making dinner a breeze.
This is a delicious twist on pasta night!
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup half and half
5 cups roasted butternut squash*, about 1 large squash
1-½ cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For serving: 1 pound cheese tortellini, grated Parmesan cheese, and toasted chopped pecans
Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until tender and starting to turn golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the half and half into a blender. Add the butternut squash, the chicken stock, and the garlic.
Purée, starting on low speed using the tamper if needed. Blend, turning the speed up to medium until the squash is very smooth and blended into the chicken stock and half and half, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sage, marjoram, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend into the sauce on medium speed, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and warm over medium heat, about 15 to 20 minutes. While the sauce warms, cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender.
Toss the hot pasta with the butternut squash sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and toasted pecans.
Makes about 7 cups of sauce.
*To roast butternut squash:
1 large butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise
2 to 3 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
Scoop the seeds out of each half of the squash and place them cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each half with the olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a teaspoon of butter in the cavity of each side. Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour or until the squash is tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Small skillet
- Blender
- medium saucepan
- Large stockpot for pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup half and half
- 5 cups roasted butternut squash, about 1 large squash*
- 1-½ cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- For serving:
- 1 pound cheese tortellini
- grated Parmesan cheese and toasted chopped pecans
- *For the roasted butternut squash:
- 1 large butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons butter
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until tender and starting to turn golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour the half and half into a blender. Add the butternut squash, the chicken stock, and the garlic.
- Purée, starting on low speed using the tamper if needed. Blend, turning the speed up to medium until the squash is very smooth and blended into the chicken stock and half and half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the sage, marjoram, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend into the sauce on medium speed, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and warm over medium heat, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the sauce warms, cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender.
- Toss the hot pasta with the butternut squash sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and toasted pecans.
- To roast the butternut squash:
- Scoop the seeds out of each half of the squash and place them cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each half with the olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a teaspoon of butter in the cavity of each side.
- Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour or until the squash is tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
