Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I’m lucky that my fiancé is so supportive of my food blog…although it does mean that he gets a lot of exciting meals and we have an excuse to try out new restaurants!  Lance cooks for us pretty regularly but he rarely follows a recipe.  I like to joke that most meals he makes have never been made with those exact ingredients in the history of mankind.  But his crazy concoctions made from whatever he finds in our fridge usually turn out great. 

So I was surprised when he found a recipe in the newspaper and decided to make it for us one night (and actually follow the instructions!)  He even photo-documented his steps for me so I can share it with you here on the blog.   

Some of my favorite foods are the ones you find in the fall – pumpkin, squash, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, kale, pomegranates...and anything that incorporates these ingredients I’m guaranteed to like.  This recipe was for roasted butternut squash soup.  It took a bit of time, but it was actually pretty simple.

And I’m sure for all of you up north, this would be a nice way to keep warm during the cool months!  (Not that we know much about that in Florida…)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (adapted from Chowhound)

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds whole butternut squash (about 2 medium), halved lengthwise and seeds removed (you can bake the seeds with some salt, pepper & olive oil if you want to snack on them!)

·         2 T unsalted butter

• 1 medium Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium dice. Cut the onion into medium dice.

4. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

5. When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the saucepan with the sautéed apples and onions; discard the skins.

6. Add the broth, water, and measured salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream.

8. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap (the pour lid) from the blender lid and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape).

9. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Lemon Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Even though it’s still 90 degrees outside, I love fall flavors, so this week we had an autumn inspired pasta dish – butternut squash stuffed shells with lemon sage brown butter sauce.  

I’ve actually made this recipe a few other times in the past – but the other times I actually made it with manicotti shells instead.  I actually think I prefer the manicotti since it seems to hold the filling better – the shells are a bit messier.  But either way, it tastes great. 

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Lemon Sage Brown Butter Sauce

 (adapted from Proud Italian Cook)

Shells & Filling:

• 12 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups butternut squash (I used prepared pre-cut squash which is easier, but you could peel & chop it yourself)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup fresh spinach (or ¼ cup frozen chopped spinach thawed & squeezed dry)
• 1 egg
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 lemon – zest and juice
• Salt & pepper
• Grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 10 sage leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.  

2. Toss squash in olive oil and arrange on baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta shells according to the directions on the package.   

4. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool.  Reset the oven to 400ºF.

5. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, garlic, spinach, egg, cooled squash, and zest of 1 lemon.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

6. Stuff the cooked shells with the cheese & squash mixture and arrange on a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. 

7. For the sauce, melt butter in a sauté pan until golden brown and bubbly. Add sage leaves and fry until slightly crispy. 

8. Remove from heat and squeeze in juice of 1 lemon. 

9. Remove the baked shells from the oven and spoon the sauce evenly over the pasta.  Top with grated parmesan cheese.  We enjoyed ours with red wine & caprese salad!