Squash Pasta Sauce

Ravioli in roasted squash pasta sauce

As a long time acid reflux sufferer "tomato" is really a four letter word  to my stomach .  I still love pasta with tomato sauce  but the ensuing stomach distress is always a pause for concern. In an effort to  find an alternative I decided to try a Butternut squash because it is alkaline and also has a natural creaminess.

 I would say this sauce is very forgiving and lends itself to customizing based on your preference , for example, additional dairy can be used to create an indulgent and rich sauce( heavy cream, cream or ricotta cheese) or stock and herbs and spices for a lighter and tasty pasta sauce.

 I typically roast my squash to help get rid of excess moisture and concentrate its flavour and add garlic, fennel, thyme and tarragon to increase the savouriness of the squash.  This sauce can get very thick quickly but it can easily be thinned with milk, water or stock based on your preference. 

 Give it a try and let me know if it worked for you ! I would suggest that with any version you chose to try one tip to take this to another level would be topping the finished pasta with blue or goat cheese and some toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds …trust me, try it you might like it !

 Roasted pumpkin can be substituted as well as canned pumpkin puree , however, if using pumpkin puree add in a bit of corn starch slurry (1 teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in 1/3 cup of room temperature water ) to help thicken the sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of roasted squash

• 4 cups of water

• 1 cup of stock (1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup of water works as a substitute )

• 1 teaspoon if fennel seeds finely diced ( 1/4 teaspoon of anise seeds can be substituted)

• 3 cloves of garlic finely minced

•  3 sprigs of thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 tablespoon of cream cheese (optional)

• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

 Preparation:

1. Cut squash into 1/2 inch pieces  and place in a baking tray , season with salt and toss to evenly coat with 1 teaspoon of oil. Roast at 375F for 30-40 minutes or until the cubes are soft and easily "smushed" with the back of a spoon.

2. In  large sauce pan add 1/2 teaspoon of butter and add garlic, pepper flakes and fennel seeds and sauté for 3 minutes and add in squash.

3. Lower heat to simmer  and add in the water and stock, along with the thyme and tarragon. Cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until the liquid reduces by 1/2 .

4. Remove from heat and using an immersion blend or blender puree the squash mixture until its smooth and no chunks are left .

5. Place squash puree on the stove top on low heat  and add in cream cheese stirring until the cream cheese is completely dissolved into the puree and add in grating of nutmeg.

6. Turn of the heat and mix in the heavy cream to the puree and toss pasta in the sauce .