It is fall and that means a plenitude of winter squash. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but they are all delicious!
I adore mac-n-cheese, but I’ve given up dairy. One day, while gazing at the rich orange color of butternut squash, I realized that it would look just like cheese sauce if it were roasted and pureed. I my mind, I saw a delightful a smooth, velvety sauce that would be the perfect accompaniment for any number of dishes.
I was “off and running”, creating as I went! The resulting family-approved recipe uses squash, tastes great, is incredibly versatile, and freezes well!
🍂 Winter Squash Sauce 🍂
Hubbard, butternut, or acorn squash all work equally well in this recipe. I love the deep orange color. Plus, it’s full of amazing nutrients and knock-your-socks-off taste!
Just one cup contains 120% of your daily dose of vitamin A and 30% of vitamin C. Additionally, studies have shown that it has both antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut or hubbard squash
- 3 cups of water
- Vegetable broth (homemade is preferable)
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 Tbsp. of no salt seasoning. (I like Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning)
Directions
Begin by cutting off the top and using a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place the cut off top back on the squash. Cover the whole squash with aluminum foil and place it on a roasting pan. Cook for 1 hour at 400 degrees. When it’s done, a knife will easily slide into the flesh.
When it is done, it should look like this!
The easiest way to remove the flesh is to use a small knife and carefully cut away the skin of the squash. The “meat” of the squash is left and is all usable. Cut it into chunks and set aside.
While the squash is roasting, dice one large onion, four cloves of garlic and 2 cups of red pepper. Saute these in a pan on medium heat. I sauteed them in a little water, since I’m not a fan of adding extra calories or fat by using either butter or oil.
When the vegetable mixture is opaque – after about 10 minutes – add the chunks of squash, 3 cups of water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth (homemade is preferable), and seasoning: 1 Tblsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, 2 Tblsp. of no salt seasoning. I like a mixture of garlic/herb and Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning.
Cook this mixture for 15 minutes over medium heat, breaking up the chunks of squash as you stir the mixture. It doesn’t need to be smooth. You are going to throw it all in the food processor.
Place the mixture into a food processor 4 cups at a time. Process until smooth. When it is all processed to a smooth consistency. Add a little almond milk to the mixture if needed, to get it to flow smoothly through the processor. Place the now smooth sauce back into the pan. Add milk or plant-based milk 1 cup at a time until it reaches the consistency of pasta sauce. I used almond milk.
Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
This tasty sauce is incredibly versatile and freezes well.
It can be used as a topping over a hot baked potato, pasta, rice, or another grain.
Download a PDF of this recipe.
