Delicious, low cal butternut squash pasta sauce

NaurielR · January 2013

I love creamy sauces. A zippy tomato sauce may hit the spot every now and then, but a truly comforting pasta dish is slathered in creamy goodness. How do these sauces get to be so creamy? Cream and fat. Not the best foods to be eating when you want something low calorie

But after stumbling across a recipe for butternut squash pasta sauce, I decided to make my own.

This sauce is smooth and creamy as sin. You wouldn't guess it's healthy. But being made mostly from a vegetable, and clocking in at a little over 70 calories for 3/4 of a cup, I can assure you this sauce is magic.

***I really love butternut squash. A lot. A lot more than I should. This is a very good sauce, but if my love for all things butternut squash oversells this sauce, I'm sorry. Just know this is a tasty, healthy pasta sauce.)

INGREDIENTS
100 grams baked and purreed (lump free) butternut squash*
2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Water
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Whatever other spices/herbs float your tasty party boat

*by baked and riced, I mean that the butternut squash should be baked (I cube the squash and bake it at 400degrees for about 30 minutes). When I say purreed and lump free, I mean that it should be treated in some way that will reduce it to a lump free purée. I use a ricer, but you can push it through a strainer as well. If you have a strong blendr and are making a bigger batch, you can try that as well, but I haven't tested that method myself

INSTRUCTIONS
The hardest part is pureeing the squash. I find its easier when it's warm, but using a manual ricer or pushing it through a strainer is tough, tedious work. But stick to it!

After you have 100 grams of squash puree, heat it in the microwave until warm. Add the cream cheese and stir until mixed and the cream cheese has melted.

Add the chicken broth and combine. Add water until you get a sauce of you desired consistency.

Add spices. I can't tell you what amount or what types, because I never measure and sometimes use different spices. I've listed salt, pepper, garlic and onion pepper, and paprika in the ingredients list becuse they go very well together. However, I've added things such as chipotle powder, basil, thyme, and chili powder. Just go wild and use your creativity.

LesCalvert · January 2013

This sounds delicious! Gonna be giving this a try.
Thank you.

cupboard_stalker · January 2013

i make butternut lasagne with leek and it is v v v v yummy!

Glad i've fiund another butternut enthusiast! But i am much lazier, i mostly just halve it lengthways and bake it cut side up for 50mins @ gm6 and when its done you can scoop it out the skin and mash it with a fork....so much easier than cubes!

hmuh · January 2013

Love it! Thanks!

Rrrroxy777 · January 2013

BUMP !
Sounds YUM. :happy:

NaurielR · January 2013

i make butternut lasagne with leek and it is v v v v yummy!

Glad i've fiund another butternut enthusiast! But i am much lazier, i mostly just halve it lengthways and bake it cut side up for 50mins @ gm6 and when its done you can scoop it out the skin and mash it with a fork....so much easier than cubes!

That is a very good idea. I usually use baked and cubed squash because that's what I have on hand (my family will have squash as a side dish for dinner, but we never finish it all). However, the cubes develop a skin when baked, that although delicious, makes the sauce kinda chunky. Baking halves of squash and solves both problems! I'll try thisand see how it works

clarkeje1 · January 2013

bump

llynn19 · January 2013

Thankyou for posting this recipe my son allergic to Tomatos and I am getting a little tired of Alfredo sauce.
Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!

I love creamy sauces. A zippy tomato sauce may hit the spot every now and then, but a truly comforting pasta dish is slathered in creamy goodness. How do these sauces get to be so creamy? Cream and fat. Not the best foods to be eating when you want something low calorie

But after stumbling across a recipe for butternut squash pasta sauce, I decided to make my own.

This sauce is smooth and creamy as sin. You wouldn't guess it's healthy. But being made mostly from a vegetable, and clocking in at a little over 70 calories for 3/4 of a cup, I can assure you this sauce is magic.

***I really love butternut squash. A lot. A lot more than I should. This is a very good sauce, but if my love for all things butternut squash oversells this sauce, I'm sorry. Just know this is a tasty, healthy pasta sauce.)

INGREDIENTS
100 grams baked and purreed (lump free) butternut squash*
2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Water
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Whatever other spices/herbs float your tasty party boat

*by baked and riced, I mean that the butternut squash should be baked (I cube the squash and bake it at 400degrees for about 30 minutes). When I say purreed and lump free, I mean that it should be treated in some way that will reduce it to a lump free purée. I use a ricer, but you can push it through a strainer as well. If you have a strong blendr and are making a bigger batch, you can try that as well, but I haven't tested that method myself

INSTRUCTIONS
The hardest part is pureeing the squash. I find its easier when it's warm, but using a manual ricer or pushing it through a strainer is tough, tedious work. But stick to it!

After you have 100 grams of squash puree, heat it in the microwave until warm. Add the cream cheese and stir until mixed and the cream cheese has melted.

Add the chicken broth and combine. Add water until you get a sauce of you desired consistency.

Add spices. I can't tell you what amount or what types, because I never measure and sometimes use different spices. I've listed salt, pepper, garlic and onion pepper, and paprika in the ingredients list becuse they go very well together. However, I've added things such as chipotle powder, basil, thyme, and chili powder. Just go wild and use your creativity.

ktully93 · January 2013

Bump to fix later!

cjm109 · January 2013

Bump and thank you

kcritter77 · January 2013

I love creamy sauces. A zippy tomato sauce may hit the spot every now and then, but a truly comforting pasta dish is slathered in creamy goodness. How do these sauces get to be so creamy? Cream and fat. Not the best foods to be eating when you want something low calorie

But after stumbling across a recipe for butternut squash pasta sauce, I decided to make my own.

This sauce is smooth and creamy as sin. You wouldn't guess it's healthy. But being made mostly from a vegetable, and clocking in at a little over 70 calories for 3/4 of a cup, I can assure you this sauce is magic.

***I really love butternut squash. A lot. A lot more than I should. This is a very good sauce, but if my love for all things butternut squash oversells this sauce, I'm sorry. Just know this is a tasty, healthy pasta sauce.)

INGREDIENTS
100 grams baked and purreed (lump free) butternut squash*
2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Water
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Whatever other spices/herbs float your tasty party boat

*by baked and riced, I mean that the butternut squash should be baked (I cube the squash and bake it at 400degrees for about 30 minutes). When I say purreed and lump free, I mean that it should be treated in some way that will reduce it to a lump free purée. I use a ricer, but you can push it through a strainer as well. If you have a strong blendr and are making a bigger batch, you can try that as well, but I haven't tested that method myself

INSTRUCTIONS
The hardest part is pureeing the squash. I find its easier when it's warm, but using a manual ricer or pushing it through a strainer is tough, tedious work. But stick to it!

After you have 100 grams of squash puree, heat it in the microwave until warm. Add the cream cheese and stir until mixed and the cream cheese has melted.

Add the chicken broth and combine. Add water until you get a sauce of you desired consistency.

Add spices. I can't tell you what amount or what types, because I never measure and sometimes use different spices. I've listed salt, pepper, garlic and onion pepper, and paprika in the ingredients list becuse they go very well together. However, I've added things such as chipotle powder, basil, thyme, and chili powder. Just go wild and use your creativity.

Oh my! I also have an unhealthy love affair with Butternut Squash. I so can't wait to try this with some rice noodles! YUM!

kcritter77 · January 2013

i make butternut lasagne with leek and it is v v v v yummy!

Glad i've fiund another butternut enthusiast! But i am much lazier, i mostly just halve it lengthways and bake it cut side up for 50mins @ gm6 and when its done you can scoop it out the skin and mash it with a fork....so much easier than cubes!

That is a very good idea. I usually use baked and cubed squash because that's what I have on hand (my family will have squash as a side dish for dinner, but we never finish it all). However, the cubes develop a skin when baked, that although delicious, makes the sauce kinda chunky. Baking halves of squash and solves both problems! I'll try thisand see how it works

I steam mine and you can put it straight in the food processor and it comes out lump free!

AnswerintheSky · January 2013

This sounds like a great recipe. How much, in cups, is 100 g of butternut squash? How many does the recipe serve? Thanks.

phard53 · January 2013

bump

thatlittlebit · January 2013

*by baked and riced, I mean that the butternut squash should be baked (I cube the squash and bake it at 400degrees for about 30 minutes). When I say purreed and lump free, I mean that it should be treated in some way that will reduce it to a lump free purée. I use a ricer, but you can push it through a strainer as well. If you have a strong blendr and are making a bigger batch, you can try that as well, but I haven't tested that method myself

Thanks for this! I find if you just put it in a bowl/jug and use a stick blender it's perfectly lump free and smooth!

fuzzieme · January 2013

THANK YOU!

NaurielR · January 2013

This sounds like a great recipe. How much, in cups, is 100 g of butternut squash? How many does the recipe serve? Thanks.

Ah, thank you for reminding me. I like to measure my stuff on a scale, but I did measure out the squash in cups just to give people a reference. 100 grams of puréed squashes comes out very nicely to about 1/2 cup. This recipe will make roughly 3/4 cup, depending on how loose or thick you like your sauce.

cnelsdesigns · January 2013

Sound's yummy, I have some butternut squash in the freezer. I'm going to give this a try. I make a very tasty butternut squash/sweet potato/jalapeno pepper soup that is to die for and am sure I will love your recipe. Heading to the store right now for low fat cream cheese. Thank you for sharing.

Caggle123 · January 2013

A big slim bump!

jackiejax1981 · January 2013

I puree squash either by throwing it in my Blendtec blender, or using electric beaters in a stock pot ;-) In the Blendtec, I don't even have to cook it first!

jackiejax1981 · January 2013

for an even healthier version, I'd use veggie broth, and tofutti cream 'cheese'. That way there's no saturated fat or cholesterol. (im vegan) i absolutely love love LOVE butternut squash, but never thought of adding the cream cheese part. THIS I WILL TRY!

Okapi42 · January 2013

Sounds delish! I'd just eat the squash before it ever reached the sauce, though - I can finish an entire half on my own for dinner, no problem.

Another quick creamy pasta fix: drain your cooked pasta and return it to the pot, but turn off the heat. Then stir in an egg and a tablespoon of grated parmesan or gran padano, and keep stirring so it coats the pasta but doesn't coagulate. Add peas.