Butternut Squash

I never really ate squash growing up but I would have tried this squash anyway because of its name; there's something about the word butternut that conjures up images of delicious buttery smooth rich vegetables. I was first introduced to it quite accidently on a weekend getaway that I took to a quaint town called Carmel. It was Memorial Day weekend and there was a lively buzz about the place as citygoers explored the beauty of Big Sur during the day and sauntered through the specialty stores and restaurants in the evening.

After a beautiful hike through a redwood forest we were famished and strolling around Carmel impatiently awaiting the time for our restaurant reservation. We stumbled across a store with tons of exotic jams, spreads, and sauces. As there were so many people in town that weekend, they had several stations filled with goodies that you could sample. With no intention of buying anything we wandered around trying almost everything in the store and then I tried the butternut squash sauce. It was delicious! The sauce was slightly warm, had a buttery smooth texture, and surprised me with its unexpected punch of paprika and spice. I kept coming back to it and by the third sample I realized I couldn't go home without it.

Back in San Diego, I added it to some pasta and it was incredibly delicious. Come October I found butternut squash in abundance at the farmer's market. I brought home several and tried out two recipes. One was an effort to recreate the buttery sauce from Carmel and the other was a healthy adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe. For the pasta sauce I baked the butternut squash in the oven for about an hour, then scooped out the inside and pureed it in the food processor. I heated it in a frying pan while adding creme fraiche a little at a time along with some paprika, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper, and stirred until I had the consistency desired for my sauce. It was delicious!

The second recipe I tried a few days later was Martha Stewart's butternut squash recipe. I cut the butternut squash in half and seasoned it with some salt and pepper before leaving it to bake in the oven. Once it was tender, I scooped out most of the inside and then pureed it in the food processor with some greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) adding some chives, paprika, salt and pepper for flavor. Once the mixture had a smooth consistency I scooped it back into the butternut squash skin and sprinkled it with some breadcrumbs and let it bake for another 20 minutes until the top was a lovely golden brown color. My husband was practically licking it out of the skin, a bit like I do with mangoes which I adore. It was that good.

Here are the recipes. Try them out while squash is in season. They are nice and hearty for the cooler autumn months.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

2 butternut squash

80z creme fraiche (or heavy cream)

1 tsp paprika

chilli flakes

Salt

pepper

Directions:

Slice each butternut squash in half from top to bottom, seed, and scoop out the loose fibers. Season each squash with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for about an hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until the inside is tender. Scoop out the flesh and place it in the food processor and add more salt, pepper, some chilli flakes, and paprika. Blend until smooth. Place the mixture in a frying pan and slowly add the creme fraiche stirring to blend. When you have the consistency you desire add the pasta to the sauce and toss it. You can add some previously cooked chicken pieces if desired.

Adaptation of Martha Stewart's Twice Baked Butternut Squash Recipe

Ingredients

2 butternut squash

1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 teaspoons paprika

3 fresh chives, cut into 1/8-inch pieces

3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees with the rack in center. Halve squash lengthwise, and remove seeds and fibers. Sprinkle squash halves with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place squash on a baking tray. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer squash to a cool surface, and let cool enough to handle.

Use a spoon to scoop baked flesh out of each half into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch border around six of the halves so they will keep their shape. To the bowl, add sour cream, paprika, chives, and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix with a handheld electric mixer or potato masher until smooth and well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the squash halves with mixture (discard remaining six empty halves). Sprinkle tops with toasted breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and warm throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

It is also excellent served on slices of toasted baguette bruschetta style.