Squash Sauce

This recipe has quickly become my go-to dinner on crazy or lazy nights when I need to get dinner served quickly with minimum effort. I can get this on the table in 20 minutes, start to serve. And everyone in the family loves it. Everyone. How often does that happen? (Although, I have found that if you serve it as a 'build your own' event, the kids love it more. They will eat three servings if they get to pile on the pasta, add turkey, and douse it in sauce all by themselves.)

This recipe is dairy, egg, nut, and soy free. With care it can be vegan and gluten free. Serve over your favorite pasta, or for added protein serve over quinoa. Feel free to brown some ground turkey, sausage, or beef and toss it in if you like. Make it yours, you'll be glad you did.

Squash Sauce

1 bag frozen butternut squash (or about 2 cups cubed butternut squash)
1/2 c vegetable broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-1 c additional broth or milk of choice

Put squash in small sauce pan, add veggie broth, cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until very tender. (This will take a bit longer if using fresh squash.) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in small skillet. Add onion and saute until translucent and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, add garlic and cook until the fragrance changes from pungent to slightly sweet, about 2-3 minutes. Add this to the squash pan. Use a few spoonfuls of the liquid from the squash to deglaze the onion pan and add this extra flavor back into the squash. Add seasonings and puree until smooth, adding additional broth or milk to achieve the consistency you like. I like to add coconut milk (surprise!) to make this a bit creamier, but you can use any liquid that you have on hand. Pour over pasta and enjoy!

*Cook's Note: Sometimes to change up the nutritional content, I add a handful of frozen carrots or frozen cubed sweet potato to the frozen squash and cook it all together. As long as it is orange in color the kids don't notice. I've even been known to add a handful of white beans to give it a little protein bump.