Perhaps because if stored in a cool place, they’ll last several months, well into winter. Butternut squash is the queen of winter squashes. The taste is so good, and so consistent, that from what I understand, most “canned pumpkin” that we use to make pumpkin pie is actually made with a variety of pumpkin more akin to the butternut squash than to the pumpkins we use for jack-o-lanterns.
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
The ever fabulous Garrett came over recently with a pint of roasted butternut squash purée and a mission to create a pasta sauce with it — a butternut squash pasta sauce. We often find butternut squash inside of ravioli, so why not on the outside for a butternut squash pasta dish? It just needed to be thinned a bit with water, made savory with Parmesan, and brightened with some sour cream and parsley. The resulting butternut squash pasta plate was absolutely delicious, and I ate the leftover butternut squash sauce with a spoon straight out the fridge for days. Be careful when you cut the squash, winter squash are hard! The best way to do it safely is to slice a bit off of both ends so that you can stand the squash upright without it rolling. Then cut down the middle. See how to cut and peel a butternut squash for visuals, though note for this recipe you do not want to peel the squash before roasting. It also helps if you have a microwave, to microwave the whole squash for a minute before cutting into it. This will lightly soften the outside of the squash, making it easier to cut it. Pour 1/4 cup of water into a baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and put into a blender. Discard the skins.
