I have a wonderful surprise for you today. This Crock Pot Butternut Squash Sauce recipe is going to knock your socks off!
You might be wondering why you would want to make a pasta sauce recipe out of butternut squash? Read on and I'll tell you why!
Not long ago I shared a Sweet-Savory Stuffed Shells recipe using store bought Butternut Squash Sauce I bought at Target. That butternut squash sauce knocked my socks off in that recipe. I can't even begin to describe the flavor.
It doesn't taste like butternut squash and it doesn't taste like any pasta sauce I have ever bought or made. It has a deep and rich flavor that is delicious.
After sharing the stuffed shells recipe I had a few people ask where I bought the sauce.
I had a feeling there was going to be an issue with that particular jarred Butternut Squash Sauce because I looked in every store I shopped to see if I could find it anywhere besides Target.
Guess what? I didn't find it anywhere else and when I spotted it at Target on my next shopping trip there was only one jar left.
You know what an empty product shelf means, right? That stuff is good!
Before I threw my empty jar away I wrote down all the ingredients so I could make it myself and share the homemade Butternut Squash Sauce recipe with all of you.
I'm so glad I did. I used half the recipe and put the other half in the freezer so I could use the other half whenever I wanted.
This Crock Pot Butternut Squash Sauce recipe will make about 4 cups of sauce.
I used my Instant Pot Butternut Squash but you could use my Crock Pot Butternut Squash recipe or even buy frozen cubed butternut squash to make it.
I couldn't wait to try out my Crock Pot Butternut Squash Sauce recipe to see if it was as good as the store bought sauce. Now of course you know homemade is always better and I wasn't disappointed.
I quickly threw together this One Pot Creamy Vegetarian Pappardelle recipe for lunch. This is one of the easiest lunch recipes I have ever made!
OMG is all I can say.
Don't let the word vegetarian scare you off. You're more than welcome to add some browned ground beef or cooked Italian Sausage to this recipe.
I was in such a hurry to sample the Crock Pot Butternut Squash Sauce and I didn't have any ground beef or sausage on hand or I would have added it. I think some hot Italian sausage would be delicious in this recipe.
How To make Homemade Butternut Squash Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups Cooked Butternut Squash cubes ( I used my Instant Pot Butternut Squash or you could use my Crock Pot Butternut Squash)
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups of water
- In a skillet melt the butter and saute the bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper until the vegetables are translucent and very soft. Pour into the crock pot.
- Add the cooked butternut squash, tomato paste, and water to the crock pot. Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
- Stir to mix well
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and turn the heat to low.
- Slow cook for 8 hours if using cubed butternut squash. If using mashed butternut squash cook for 6 hours.
- Once the sauce has simmered and has thickened if you used cubed butternut squash scoop the solids from the slow cooker and puree in a blender. Pour the puree back into the crock pot and mix well.
- If the sauce is not thick enough for your liking turn the crock pot heat up to high and prop the lid so it is slightly ajar and there is room for the steam to escape. Continue cooking for another hour or so or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Turn the slow cooker off and allow the sauce to cool.
- Once cool, if not using immediately transfer the butternut squash sauce to storage containers.
- Can be frozen in portion size to use another day.
- Makes about 4 cups of butternut squash pasta sauce.
Print the Crock Pot Butternut Squash Sauce recipe below
Crock Pot Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked butternut squash cubes (I used my Instant Pot Butternut Squash or you could use my Crock Pot Butternut Squash)
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- In a skillet melt the butter and saute the bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper until the vegetables are translucent and very soft. Pour into the crock pot.
- Add the cooked butternut squash, tomato paste and water to the crock pot. Sprinkle the sugar over the top. Stir to mix well.
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and turn the heat to low.
- Slow cook for 8 hours if using cubed butternut squash. If using mashed butternut squash cook for 6 hours.
- Once the sauce has simmered and has thickened if you used cubed butternut squash scoop the solids from the slow cooker and puree in a blender. Pour the puree back into the crock pot and mix well.
- If the sauce is not thick enough for your liking turn the crock pot heat up to high and prop the lid so it is slighlty ajar and there is room for the steam to exscape. Continue cooking for another hour or so or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Turn the slow cooker off and allow the sauce to cool.
- Once cool, if not using immediately transfer the butternut squash sauce to storage containers. Can be frozen in portion size to use another day.
Kim~madeinaday
Sounds yummy! That pappardelle recipe looks like it would be right up my alley! Sharing! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Arlene Mobley
Kim Thank You!
Claudia Matusiak
I'm in the middle making your Butternut Squash Sauce but have a question. You say one can of tomato paste but you don't say what size.
I have a 6 oz. can and a 12 oz. can in stock that I buy each for other recipes I make. Please advise, which I should use!
Thank you,
Claudia Matusiak
Arlene Mobley
Claudia I used the smaller 6 oz can.