Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine


Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine


Excuse my lack of posts this past week. Ben and I have spent the past several days engaging in some fall cleaning, which is more like overdue spring cleaning that we decided to finally tackle. Between planning our wedding and recuperating from our wedding, we never really got around to completing the numerous projects we started. Even still, we have a L-O-N-G way to go. Back in April, a mere 3 months before our wedding, I decided it would be a fantastic idea to rip out our entire master bathroom and redo it. After all, we registered for new Pottery Barn Bath Towels in the color scheme we eventually planned on changing our house to, so why not get a head start? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I look back on this thought process and could kick myself, but away we went, ripping everything out from the ground up, and 6 months later we still have a shell of a bathroom and hole in the floor.

Ugh….

By the way, we never got any of the Pottery Barn decor on our registry. Go figure. We are towel-less and toilet-less. C’est la vie.

On a brighter note, we aren’t squash-less. As a matter of fact, we are currently sitting pretty on the butternut squash front. From past experience, butternut squash and pumpkin make fantastic dairy-free cream sauces (just check out my Creamy Pumpkin Macaroni and ‘Cheese) that are downright decadent and inherently Fall.


Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine


This Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine isn’t too difficult to make, especially if you can find some pre-cut squash that’s ready to go. A high speed blender such as a Vitamix is helpful, but any blender will do. One note on this recipe is that this sauce uses raw cashews, so if you are not using a high-powered blender, i.e. Vitamix, soak cashews overnight, or boil for 10 minutes and drain. This will soften them and ensure a silky smooth cream.

Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine
 
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Pasta
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Dairy and gluten free creamy butternut sage linguine.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp. organic grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage
  • 2 pound butternut squash; peeled, seeded, and cut into small ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion; chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves; pressed and minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 package gluten free linguine
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt + additional to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sage and stir to coat. Let the sage lightly sauté for about a minute or so before transferring it to a small dish. Set the sage aside.
  2. Add cubed squash, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, or about 10 minutes.
  3. Add in your low-sodium vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat, simmering until squash is soft and broth is reduced by half. This should take about 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  5. In a blender, combine cashews, water, lemon juice, and salt. Process on high until very smooth, or about 2 minutes. Pour into a separate dish and set aside.
  6. Once the squash mixture is done cooking, remove it from heat and let it cool slightly. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, and purée the mixture until smooth.
  7. When finished, return squash purée to the skillet and whisk in your cashew cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Combine pasta and squash purée until sauce coats pasta, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
  9. Serve pasta topped with fried sage and additional red pepper flakes if desired.
 
Notes
This recipe will make additional sauce, so feel free to make a double serving of pasta, or store additional sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

 

12 comments on Creamy Butternut Sage Linguine

  1. Amy
    October 26, 2014 at 6:31 pm (9 years ago)

    Yum! Loved this recipe! Added in extra pepper flakes for more spice :)

    Reply
    • Danielle
      October 27, 2014 at 7:19 am (9 years ago)

      Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Amy! :)

      Reply
  2. Deryke
    October 28, 2014 at 9:33 pm (9 years ago)

    Very yummy! I used chicken stock and it was delicious

    Reply
    • Danielle
      October 29, 2014 at 2:46 pm (9 years ago)

      Glad you enjoyed it, Deryke!

      Reply
  3. magdalena
    October 30, 2014 at 2:39 pm (9 years ago)

    This looks heavenly!!! (and healthy!!!) going to surprise my b/f on Halloween (since we’re staying in and watching scary movies) by making this for dinner! Thank you for the gorgeous fall recipe! (And Ill use any excuse to use sage….it’s heavenly)

    Reply
    • Danielle
      October 30, 2014 at 4:08 pm (9 years ago)

      I hope you and your b/f enjoy it, Magdalena! :)

      Reply
  4. magdalena
    October 30, 2014 at 2:40 pm (9 years ago)

    cant wait to try this out tomorrow while staying in for halloween! looks divine! (and what a great combo with the sage!!!!)

    Reply
  5. Erika
    January 22, 2015 at 6:26 pm (9 years ago)

    I really love this recipe! How long can the sauce stay (if I put it in a sep. Tupperware in the fridge) ? Is it freezes me too?

    Also, I ended up with a LOT more cashew milk than I needed. Is that common?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 24, 2015 at 1:34 pm (9 years ago)

      Hi Erika! Not sure if the sauce will freeze, but it will definitely hold up in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for a few days. The cashew cream sauce does make quite a bit, but you can always cut the recipe in half for it, or store any remaining in the fridge for a few days as well. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  6. Jessica
    February 4, 2015 at 7:54 pm (9 years ago)

    This was wonderful!! It blows my mind how it takes on such a creamy almost cheesy consistency. My 4 and 6 year old thought it was “mac and cheese”. :)

    Reply
    • Danielle
      February 6, 2015 at 1:41 pm (9 years ago)

      So glad to hear that your family enjoyed it, Jessica! It blows my mind too how creamy this sauce is :) I love it.

      Reply
  7. Susan
    July 1, 2015 at 5:53 am (9 years ago)

    Thanks for a great recipe. It was very flavorful and yummy! I would definitely make it again.

    Reply

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