Nothing quite says fall like butternut squash. This butternut squash cream sauce recipe is great over pasta and makes a delicious change from the usual heavy cream or tomato sauces. It’s got sweet butternut squash, savory/sweet roasted garlic, and creamy parmesan added just at the end.
First, roast the squash, and the garlic, then pop it in a saucepan with chopped onions and puree the whole thing. A bit of cream and parmesan gives it a creamy, rich flavor.
I sometimes like to add a bit of bacon or pancetta crumbled on top for an extra bit of salty/savory deliciousness (and besides, bacon!).
I did try to make this as cleanup friendly as possible, but it’s a bit hopeless. There are a lot of pans involved! Luckily, since we’re only making enough for one person, they’re fairly small pans.
There are several pieces of kitchen equipment that are essential for this recipe. The first is good sharp sturdy knife. It’s got to cut through that peel. Next is a good peeler. Butternut squash can be hard to peel without one (although you can cheat if you want and get the pre-peeled, cut up cubes in a bag). And, finally a stick blender (or a regular one, but the stick is easier) to puree the sauce.
I tend to cut off a chunk, peel it, and then cut that up into cubes. It’s easier that way.
Butternut Squash Cream Sauce Recipe for One
A perfect fall dish, with sweet squash, savory garlic and onions, and rich cream.
Notes
You can use either fresh sage or dried. If you want to make this vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
Ingredients
- 1/3 C butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 whole clove garlic (not peeled, leave the papery skin on)
- 1 T unsalted butter
- generous pinch dried sage or about 1 tsp fresh sage leaves
- 1 T diced onion
- 1/4 C chicken broth
- 1 T cream
- 1 T grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat the toaster oven to 425F.
- Peel, seed, and cut up the squash into one inch cubes.
- Take a small baking pan (or use the toaster oven tray) and add the squash, olive oil, and garlic.
- Toss it all together.
- Place the pan in the oven and cook for thirty minutes until the squash is soft.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the sage. Let it cook for a few seconds.
- Add the diced onion and cook on medium-low for five minutes.
- Remove the roasted squash from the oven. Take out the garlic clove, remove the skin, and add the garlic and squash to the melted butter mixture.
- Add the stock and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Puree the sauce with a stick blender.
- Add the cream and the parmesan cheese and heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over pasta (if you are going to eat the pasta right away with the sauce, start the water boiling while the squash is baking, about half way through).
Butternut Squash Cream Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Try shallots instead of onions
- Add some crumbled bacon or pancetta on top
- Fry a few sage leaves in the butter and use them to garnish the sauce
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples
The perfect fall soup, flavored with squash, apple cider, and mild curry. Mmmmmm good.
Roasted Cinnamon Nutmeg Butternut Squash
Flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg this is a great autumn side dish. Serve with a simple piece of roast chicken.
Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Vanilla
Sure, it looks like a side dish. I mean, squash is a vegetable, right? Nope. It’s dessert (it’s wearing a clever disguise…shhhh).