Creamy Gluten Free Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
Growing up, I was a summer girl. I loved the sunshine and the heat. Even in college, I longed for summer to never end. It helps that I went to university at the beach!
But over the past 10 years, I have fallen head over heels for autumn.
I get practically giddy when I feel that first chill in the air. And this year, with Baby Mason, autumn feels even more special.
It's been so much fun to experience the change in seasons with him. Slowing down and enjoying small moments with Mason means that I'm really savoring each holiday as they come.
So October isn't just about Halloween night, but it's also pumpkin patches and playing in the leaves. We've gone for long walks and taken a trip to the mountains. We've done every seasonal thing you can think of!
Which includes seasonal food of course.
As we all know, I am definitely crazy for pumpkins.
Big pumpkins and Little Pumpkins. :)
But I've just recently found a new love in butternut squash.
I'm not sure why it took me so long. I guess I was intimidated by the preparation, but it's actually super easy. Pinterest is chock full of recipes for roasting. For this recipe, I sliced the squash in half and roasted it instead of chopping it in to cubes. It's just easier to me. But you can roast your squash however you prefer - it's the end result, the roasted puree, that's important.
Creamy Gluten Free Butternut Squash Pasta
adapted from The Nature Box Blog via Damn Delicious
You'll need:
- 2 pounds butternut squash, roasted and blended in to smooth puree
- One box gluten free pasta (I used Schar Fusilli)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)
- Cabot Alpine Cheddar for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Roast your butternut squash and puree in a blender until smooth.
2. Prepare your gluten free pasta according to directions on box.
3. For the sauce: In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and sage and cook until shallots begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the gluten free flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, adding 1/4 cup at a time and then add the butternut squash puree. Cook, whisking constantly, and continue to add milk until the consistency is similar to alfredo sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
4. Serve immediately, garnish with shreds of Cabot Alpine Cheddar.
I wanted to add crumbled bacon to this dish, and I swear I had bacon on my grocery list...I even remember putting it in my cart....but when I went to fetch it from the fridge it wasn't there. Case of the Missing Bacon. The salt from bacon would be great, but the Alpine Cheddar actually adds that extra kick without dirtying a fry pan. (Or if you lost your bacon too)
Rich and creamy, one bowl of this pasta was completely satisfying without making me feel overstuffed. Plus the leftovers were AWESOME! Schar gluten free pasta is THE BEST - Ever. It reheats so well!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did and Happy Autumn Y'all!