This pasta sauce with roasted tomatoes and butternut squash is rich, creamy, and delicious, and sure to be a hit with your family.
It’s so simple, yet so delicious, that it astounds me! It’s one of my all-time favourites. All you need are a few fresh ingredients and a bit of time. A Sunday afternoon might be a good day to try this, as the longer this roasts, the richer it becomes.
Think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian sausage … Mama Mia! Mangia Tutti!
A couple hours in … and we’re getting there:
As this was roasting away in my oven, I stepped outside for something and then came back in. As I did, the aroma greeted me at the door and I felt like I was stepping into one of the finest Italian restaurants around.
Suddenly, I wanted to grab a glass of wine,put on “Gira Con Me” by Josh Groban and nibble on some crusty Italian bread ;)
Wondering where to find the cutest pastas at an affordable price? Well, HomeSense is the place! Who knew! I’ve been able to find all kinds of Italian brands with different shapes, sizes, and colours. They also have great egg noodles!
I urge you to give this a try!
Pasta Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes and Butternut Squash
- 8 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 4 Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- NOTE: I like to cut the sausages partially frozen as they keep their shape better
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 cups baked butternut squash (to be added to sauce later)
- PREHEAT oven to 375F
- SPLIT open the butternut squash, remove seeds and pulp, arrange on cookie sheet, cover in foil, and place in oven to bake alongside the tomato mixture
- PLACE tomatoes, garlic, onion, sausages, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven
- ROAST until the tomatoes, onions and sausages are lightly browned and smell a.ma.zing (I've found this can take 2 - 4 hours depending on your pot, your oven, and your tastes)
- REMOVE sausages from pot and set aside
- COOL tomato mixture slightly then in small batches, whirl in food processor (I use my Vitamix)
- SCOOP out butternut squash from skin and add to the last tomato batch and blend
- PLACE everything (including sausages) back in Dutch oven and reheat gently
- BRING a large pot of water to the boil, add your pasta of choice and cook until al dente. Drain, and rinse with hot water. I splash a tiny bit of olive oil on it to keep it from sticking
- PLACE pasta in individual serving dishes, top with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh basil if you like
You might want to try some Homemade Ice Cream to finish off this wonderful meal.