Butternut Squash and Sage Cream Sauce

Rich, sweet, and savory, this is a truly winning sauce.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated September 25, 2024
A plate of pasta coated in butternut squash and sage cream sauce.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Why It Works

  • Roasting the squash until browned enhances its sweetness and brings out its best flavor.
  • Cooking the shallots in browned sage butter adds a nutty depth and extra sweetness.

I've been in the mood for pasta, but not the usual red sauce. Thinking differently, I remembered a rigatoni with butternut squash, peas, and porcini mushrooms I've had multiple times at Zero Otto Nove in the Bronx, and put together this butternut squash cream sauce inspired by that.

I wanted to get this done all in one pan, but the amount of squash was just too much to brown in a 12-inch skillet, so I started by roasting the cubed butternut squash in a hot oven until nicely caramelized around the edges. The squash then gets added to a saucepan with shallots sautéed in a browned sage butter along with the chicken stock. After being simmered together, the mixture is puréed and finished with parmesan and heavy cream.

Rich, sweet, and just a little salty, this is a truly winning sauce. Breaking up the pasta monotony at home, it was a welcome change and one that I'd be happy to make over and over again.

February 2012

Recipe adapted from Use Real Butter.

Recipe Details

Butternut Squash and Sage Cream Sauce Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Makes 3 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 8 large sage leaves

  • 1/3 cup minced shallots

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place squash in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until evenly coated. Transfer squash to a rimmed baking sheet, arranging in a single layer, and place in oven until browned around the edges, about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside.

    Butternut squash cubes roasting in a aluminium-foiled baking pan.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. When foaming subsides, add sage leaves and cook until they darken and crisp and butter browns slightly. Transfer sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate. Add shallots to pan and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and squash, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until squash is completely tender, about 10 minutes.

    Sage leaves crisping in lightly browned butter.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  3. Using an immersion blender, or transferring to a countertop blender, purée until completely smooth.

    An immersion blender pureeing butternut squash mixture until smooth.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  4. Stir in parmesan cheese and heavy cream and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Either crumble reserved sage into sauce, or use as a garnish. Use immediately.

    A spoon swirling through butternut squash and sage cream sauce.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, saucepan, immersion blender or countertop blender

Notes

To learn how to prepare, peel, and cut butternut squash, check out our knife skills guide.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
142Calories
10gFat
13gCarbs
3gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories142
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g12%
Saturated Fat 5g26%
Cholesterol 23mg8%
Sodium 330mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 4g13%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 17mg84%
Calcium 84mg6%
Iron 1mg5%
Potassium 370mg8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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