I couldn't wait until winter to enjoy a butternut squash that was just sitting in my kitchen, so I decided to whip up a sauce to go over some whole wheat penne. I usually make a lot of soups with butternut squash and wanted to try something different. This only uses half of an average butternut, so you're left with enough for another meal. This is not a super fast dish to cook - there are a lot of steps and a few pans to dirty up - but trust me, it's worth it!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half crosswise, reserving the seeded section for another use.  Peel the neck and cut into about a 1/4" dice. Toss the cubes with a splash of olive oil and place on a jelly roll pan. Roast for about 15 minutes, until soft.

While the squash is roasting, sauté the onion and garlic in the rest of the olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Toss the sage and thyme into the mix for a minute, then add the roasted squash. At this point, you can either puree the squash mixture in a food processor for a very smooth sauce, or mash it to leave some larger pieces of butternut (my preference).

 

Keep the squash mixture warm as you prepare a simple béchamel sauce. In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue to stir until a roux is formed, which will look like a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to stir slowly until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir the béchamel, broth, wine, and parmesan into the squash mixture over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with fresh cracked black pepper to taste, being generous with the latter.

Toss with cooked pasta, and you're done...or are you? For an optional garnish, melt about 1 tsp butter over medium-low heat. Stir in about 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh sage and cook for about 5 minutes until the sage is crispy and the butter is brown. Add to the top of the pasta for an extra burst of flavor!

This recipe makes enough for four, but it's easily doubled using the rest of the butternut. The sauce is really versatile, as it both reheats and freezes well. Additionally, if you remove the vegetable broth and wine, you can use it for a filling for homemade ravioli or empanadas. I just love the flavor combination of butternut and sage - despite the heat wave hitting LA right now, it tastes like fall in my kitchen.