Butternut squash noodles aren’t the typical type of voodle (vegetable noodle) that comes to mind when you think of gluten-free noodle alternatives. And if we were talking about covering it in tomato sauce, we’d be on the same page. However, a gluten-full recipe I’ve always loved is butternut squash raviolis in a maple cream sauce, so I thought to myself: why not just use butternut squash noodles?
This is a maple cream sauce that I’ve been making for years, and I needed to tweak it to compete with the sweetness of butternut squash that wasn’t wrapped in pasta, but the results were phenomenal. You absolutely must use real maple syrup, and the darkness of your maple syrup will determine how sweet it will end up. Either way, it almost feels like dessert, but once you add crispy, salty bacon into the mix, it’s a proper dinner dish that even the kids will love.
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Creating Butternut Squash Noodles
You can, of course, buy frozen butternut squash noodles these days, and just nuke them according to the directions on the package. However, if you have a squash closet full of butternut squash yearning to be turned into dinner, then you’ll need to spiralize them yourself. Must-have accessory: A spiralizer. Any spiralizer should do that has a hand crank. You simply peel your squash, cut off the bulb so that the spiralizer can peel around a uniform shape, and peel. Here’s a great video on how to do it:
Maple Cream Sauce Over Butternut Squash Noodles
Butternut squash noodles are enveloped in a sweet maple cream sauce, and topped with salty bacon and tart apple pieces. Best served with a savory side dish of chicken or steak.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Sides & Sauces
Ingredients
- 8 oz uncured bacon
- 1 12″ butternut squash, spiralized
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 small onion thinly sliced into rounds
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup (light amber for less sweet)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 granny smith apple, diced into small squares
Instructions
- Chop bacon into 1/2” slices and spread out in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy and browned, then set bacon aside, but leave fat in pan.
- Add butternut squash and simmer until al-dente (about 7-10 minutes) adding more olive oil only if necessary. (Or steam ahead, then add to oil for a quick fry) then set aside.
- Add butter and thinly sliced onion to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another minute while using a spatula to move everything around, and sprinkle with fresh pepper.
- Add maple syrup and heavy cream, and let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until thick and the sauce sticks easily to the back of a spoon. Salt if you feel it needs it, then add squash back to pan, toss gently, top with bacon, sprinkle with apple squares, and serve.
Like This Maple Cream Sauce Over Butternut Squash?
If you want more ideas for using your winter squashes, check out:
-
Vegetarian Pan-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions with Rice
-
Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey-Garlic Goat Cheese and Toasted Squash Seeds
And if you try this recipe for maple cream sauce, I’d love to know your thoughts! Leave a comment below.
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