Feb 16 2012

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe – 1 Points +


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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Today’s cold and rainy weather made me reminiscent for a tasty butternut squash recipe whose fall flavors would take me back to Autumn one last time before Spring gets here. So with some whole wheat gnocchi sitting in my pantry, and a beautiful butternut squash on my kitchen counter, I went to work creating this Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce recipe. The sauce was so creamy, rich and decadent, and everything I had hoped it would be. The base is the highly nutritious butternut squash, but the sage, butter, garlic and white wine build on the squash to create a melody of fabulous flavors that create a symphony in your mouth. Each 1/2 cup serving is just 1 Points +, making it an ideal Weight Watchers Pasta Sauce Recipe. Serve it over your favorite high fiber pasta or some 0 Point Miracle Noodles for an amazing and healthy dinner idea.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe

Savor the essences of Fall with this delicious Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe. Rich and creamy, it’s hard to believe this tasty low calorie pasta sauce is just 1 Points + per serving.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp light butter (I used Brummel & Brown)
  • 5 cloves garlic, peel on
  • 1 cup fat free half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.
  3. Cut squash into 2-inch chunks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Scatter garlic around squash.
  4. Spray with a bit of non-fat cooking spray (or use an olive oil mister) and season generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
  6. Remove and discard skin from garlic.
  7. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree until smooth.
  8. Set a small saucepan over medium high heat and melt butter, then add in onions. Saute until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
  9. Add in wine and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.
  10. Turn heat to low, and add in butternut squash puree, half & half and sage. Stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes to let flavors combine.
  11. Pour over your favorite low calorie pasta or high fiber pasta and serve immediately

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate

Number of servings (yield): 8

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is ½ cup
Each serving = 1 Points +

PER SERVING: 168 calories; 1g fat; 11g carbohydrates; 2g protein; 2g fiber

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This entry was posted by on Thursday, February 16th, 2012 at 7:29 am and is filed under 1 Point, American, Butternut Squash, Dinner, Dressing, Sauce, Gravy and Dip, Halloween, Healthy, Low Calorie, Main Dish, Pasta, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian.

  • laaloosh

    The totals of the nutritional info I have posted DOES include the butternut squash. And entered into the points plus calculator, it does come out as 1 Points +. Yay!!

  • Carolyn

    I think it’d be a good policy to state the methodology used, just so everyone is fully-informed. These are the parts of the program that can get tricky, so the clearer the better!

  • Carolyn

    Totally get it, but I purposely don’t leave zero-point foods out of the recipe when I enter it in the recipe builder. That’s the method that works best for my weight loss, but the official WW take leaves it up to you: 

    “It has always been our policy at Weight Watchers to incorporate the nutrients of vegetables (and now fruit) into recipes. Why? A few reasons. 1) Vegetables and fruit add fiber and other nutrients, and without including them it can impact the Points value. 2) Our recipes are often featured in articles and magazines nationally and as a result we need to disclose this info to ensure the appropriate calories and nutrient content are displayed if evaluated by organizations outside of Weight Watchers. 3) Since many non-Weight Watchers recipes include nutritional information these days, we want our calculations to match those you may do for recipes you find in other places. We don’t want to unfairly advantage our own recipes. 4) Once you start combining vegetables and fruits with other foods, you change the experience of eating them. Few people “pig out” on carrots but might on carrot cake. To ignore them in recipes would place our member at risk for abuse potential.” “You should find the technique that works best for you. There are three ways to figure recipes (described on page 42 of the Getting Started book). If you feel that you have a tendency to abuse certain 0-PointsPlus value foods, you can use the nutritional information for all ingredients, sum them and input them into your PointsPlus calculator or Recipe Builder online. If you choose to exclude 0 pts foods, you can use your recipe builder, excluding 0 pt foods, or use Simple Recipe Math. As always, let your weight loss be your guide, and work the plan that works best for you.”

    Just FYI.

  • WWLifer

     I still come out as the recipe originator states at about 1 point per serving.  Plug the numbers in and leave out the squash as it is zero points.  The recipe builder doesn’t know what a “zero point vegetable” is.  I get 3 points for 1 cup FF 1/2 1/2, 3 points for 1/2 cup (4 oz) wine and 3 points for 1 Tbsp margarine.  Onion zero, spices zero and squash zero.  9 points for 8 servings.

  • Carolyn

    Sorry, it is 4 Points Plus/serving! I cut the amount of light butter by 1 tsp, which puts it just at 3 Points Plus. To anyone wondering about other possible cuts: of course you could cut the butter by 2/3 (to 1 tsp), cut the white wine, and cut the half-and-half. However, the cuts I made to these (besides the previously-mentioned 1 Tbs light butter to 2 tsp) weren’t enough to take it below 3 Points Plus/serving (if all you are focused on is points).

  • Carolyn

    You’re right, Kelli! I entered the recipe – exactly as written – into the WW online recipe-builder, and it comes out to 3 points plus per serving.

  • WWLifer

    Butternut squash should be zero points as a “vegetable”, but when you put it in a recipe builder it will add the nutritional information for it and calculate points based on that.  The only “point” items here are the half and half, the wine and the butter.  Should come out around 1 point + as stated as far as I can see.

  • Kelli

    If this is 168 calories/serving, it can’t be 1 points+ per serving. My guess is 4 points+/serving. I’m still going to try it, just wanted to point that out for those on WW

  • Ali

    I want to use the sauce on something other than pasta, any suggestions? Broccoli, brussel sprouts.

  • Kiwibaldwin

     Thank you!

  • Amanda

    half & half is found by the milk in the dairy section…its half cream and half milk

  • Sandy B

    This sounds very yummy; I love winter squash.  Now, if only I could get my hands on some Shiratiki noodles!  Thanks.

  • Kiwibaldwin

    Hi. Sorry just wondering what half and half is?? Thanks from a New Zealander who likes your recipes!