Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Linguine

So I’ve had this butternut squash sitting on my counter for more than just a couple days and I finally decided that since I was never going to get around to cubing it all up and roasting it for a side dish that I really needed to find an easier way to use it up. Since I’ve been having a hankering for winter themed pasta dish I decided there was no better way to use it up than to make a sauce using my slow cooker.

This kind of sauce is truly amazing in that it can be so rich and creamy without really being all that creamy. I did add just a tad bit of cream to kind of smooth it all out and add some richness but you could leave it out if you prefer to keep it totally healthy.

To make peeling the squash a bit easier you can microwave it for 3 to 4 minutes first and then let it cool. I tried both a peeler and a knife but decided the vegetable peeler worked better and was easier to manage.

I used some of the refrigerated pasta which cooked up super fast once I added it to the slow cooker. I actually just had one package and we were having the pasta as a side dish so I used just half of the sauce for the 9oz package and then saved aside the rest of the sauce to have with turkey meatballs later in the week.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Linguine

Jennifer Draper

This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Linguine has the kind of sauce that is truly amazing in that it can be so rich and creamy without being all that creamy. Perfect for a winter themed pasta dish!

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5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 461 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 3 pounds butternut squash
• 1/2 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream for later, optional
• 18 oz packaged refrigerated linguine pasta

Instructions

 

• Microwave squash for 3-4 minutes and let cool enough to handle (optional, but makes it easier to peel and cut)
• Using a vegetable peeler or a knife, remove outer skin
• Cut off each end and then cut in half width-wise
• Cut each of those halves in half again lengthwise and remove all seeds
• Cut in large 2-inch cubes/chunks and place in crock
• Remove skin and ends from onion and cut into several large chunks, place in crock
• Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker except for cream and pasta
• Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 or until vegetables are very tender
• Use either an immersion blender or very carefully transfer in batches to a blender and blend until smooth (you may need to add 2-4 tablespoons of additional broth or water to get to desired consistency)
• Stir in cream
• Add additional salt and pepper to taste and return to crock on high heat
• Add pasta and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender

Notes

I cooked this on high for 4 hours in a 4 quart slow cooker

Be VERY careful when blending sauce as it will be very hot

Nutrition

Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 525mgPotassium: 1014mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 24420IUVitamin C: 48.8mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 2.7mg

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Important nutritional disclaimer