This recipe for my butternut squash sauce is delicious whether you have food allergies or not!!!  I made this for a family party, and it was a big hit!  It has quickly become one of my favorite recipes!

There is something so comforting about a nice warm and creamy sauce on your pasta.  For anyone who may have an allergy to dairy, you may be missing a nice “cheesy” sauce on your food, but this recipe is super easy to make dairy-free, and will definitely satisfy that craving!

We grew some organic butternut squash in our garden this past summer.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE butternut squash!!!!!  I am honestly surprised that I had any left over to freeze at the end of the growing season, but I’m super excited that I did!!!

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If you want to freeze your butternut squash, here’s how to do it:

1. VERY CAREFULLY cut your butternut squash in half longways, and scoop out the seeds and the stringy membranes around the seeds.  (Hint: Rinse and save those seeds to be roasted just like pumpkin seeds!  They are sooooo yummy!!!)

1. Brush the flesh of each half with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake the squash cut side up in the oven at 400 degrees until the flesh becomes super soft and easy to mash with a fork.  (The time it takes depends on the size of the squash, but it’s usually somewhere between 60-80 minutes.)
3. ALTERNATELY, you can roast the squash whole, if you find it too hard to cut.  Just poke some holes in it with a fork like you would a baked potato to allow the steam to release during cooking.  Then cut in half and remove the seeds after cooking.
4. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and mash it up really well with a fork or spoon, or puree it in a food processor or high powered blender.

5. Place the pureed squash into quart-size freezer bags(1 cup in each bag) and store in the freezer.

Because they take a while to roast, I prefer to bake up all of my squash at once and stock the freezer for the rest of the year.  You can defrost your butternut squash before using it in this recipe, or just throw it right in the skillet while it’s frozen and use the heat of the skillet to defrost it.

This recipe is super versatile and works with any kind of pasta, milk or any milk substitute.  I make mine gluten, dairy and soy free.

In the recipe below, you will see me make reference to my “ice cube tray method” of freezing onions and garlic.  This is simply mincing the onions and garlic in bulk (you can use a food processor) and placing them in ice cube trays, covered by a little olive oil or avocado oil.  Then you freeze them, and once frozen, pop the cubes into a ziplock bag for storage in your freezer.  Now you have already minced garlic or onions ready to plop into a pan for any recipe without having to dirty a knife and cutting board each time, or making your fingers smell like garlic for the next 3 days! 😋

You will also see me reference Red Star Nutritional Yeast.  Find it here.

I hope this dish makes you feel all warm and cozy inside as you snuggle up with a big bowl full and enjoy its smooth, rich texture!  Bon appetit!

 

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

This is a great replacement for mac n cheese if you are not able to eat dairy.  It is a creamy, delicious and satisfying comfort food that will quickly become one of your favorite dishes!

• 1 cup butternut squash, roasted and pureed

• 2 cups milk, ricemilk or milk substitute of choice (I used vanilla flavored ricemilk in this recipe)
• 3 Tbsp. onions, diced (or 2 onion cubes, if using my ice cube tray method of freezing. See post above.)
• 1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced (or 1 garlic cube, if using my ice cube tray method of freezing. See post above.)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional) (not necessary if using frozen garlic and onion cubes)
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast (I use Red Star brand)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper (use more if desired)

• 1 lb. pasta of choice (I used gluten free brown rice pasta)

1. Combine butternut squash, milk or milk substitute, onions, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt and pepper in a large skillet or sauce pan over medium low heat.  If starting with frozen butternut squash, onions and/or garlic, allow them to thaw in the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients.
2. Simmer sauce, stirring constantly with a whisk until desired texture is reached.  The longer the sauce simmers, the more it will thicken.
3. While sauce is simmering, cook your pasta according to package directions.
4. Pour butternut squash sauce over your pasta, stir to combine and ENJOY!
   Hint: When reheating leftovers, add some more milk or milk substitute to it for moisture and a smoother texture.

Note:  You can also replace some of your milk or milk substitute with some chicken broth to add more depth of flavor, if desired.