B is for Butternut Squash Sauce

For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me an awesome jar of butternut squash pasta sauce that she picked up at Trader Joe's.  It came with our Le Creuset Dutch oven (yay!!!) and an oversized spatula I've come to love.  Peter and I devoured the sauce with cheese ravioli and a green salad and I loved the spicy kick that made it so memorable.  Since we don't have a Trader Joe's, I decided to create my own squashy pasta sauce and if I can say so myself, it was a success!  We enjoyed it for dinner and again for several packed lunches.  It thickens up a lot after the first day, so you might want to thin it with some chicken stock if you're planning to reserve it.

Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

from Rachel  

1 butternut squash, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise

1 onion, quartered

1 red pepper, cut in quarters and deseeded

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 c. chicken stock

4 Tbsp. butter

salt & pepper to taste

Roast the butternut squash in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.  After the squash has cooked for 30 minutes, add a cookie sheet with the onion and pepper to the oven and let it roast for 1/2 an hour.  After the squash has cooled a bit, scoop out the orange flesh with a spoon.  Puree the squash in a food processor and put it into a large pot (I used my Dutch oven).  Puree the onion and red pepper and then mix in with the squash.  Stir the red pepper flakes, garlic, stock, butter, and salt and pepper into the vegetable puree.  I used my stick blender to further smooth out the sauce as it was still a little lumpy, but this part is optional.  Let the sauce simmer on low for about 10 minutes and then serve with cheese ravioli, fettucini, or shells.  I shaved a little asiago cheese on top and served the pasta with a salad.  Enjoy!