Creamy Winter Squash With Raisins And Sage Food

SLOW-COOKED WINTER SQUASH WITH SAGE AND THYME

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Toss squash, garlic, sage, thyme, oil, and salt in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish to combine.
• Turn garlic cut side down, then roast vegetables, tossing 2 or 3 times, until golden brown, very tender, and edges and cut sides are crisp, 60-70 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add vinegar and toss to coat.

PARMESAN-ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Toss squash with cream, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, 30 minutes.
• Stir in half of cheese and sprinkle remainder on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving (cream will thicken).
• Cooks note: Butternut squash can be cut 1 day ahead and chilled in sealable bags. If you're making this entire menu, squash can be roasted at same time as mushroom and farro pie. Use upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position halfway through.

CREAMY WINTER SQUASH WITH RAISINS AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange whole squash on a baking sheet and roast until the skin is papery and a fork inserted in 2 or 3 different spots reveals very tender flesh, about 1 1/4 hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel away the skin, and discard the seeds. Meanwhile, pulse raisins, pecans, parsley, sage and orange zest in a food processor until finely chopped and transfer to a bowl; wipe out food processor. In the clean food processor, purée warm squash and tofu until very smooth and creamy. (Reheat, if needed, in a medium pot over medium heat.) Transfer to a large bowl or platter, scatter raisin-sage mixture over the top and serve.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH SAGE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing twice throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium. When the oil is hot, add the sage and cook, tossing often, until the leaves begin to crisp, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts and a generous sprinkle of salt and cook, tossing often, until the sage leaves are lightly browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage and nuts to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out the skillet. Let the mixture drain for 1 minute, then add it to a small bowl with the lemon zest; toss lightly and set aside.
• Working in batches if necessary, transfer the roasted squash and garlic to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. The consistency should be somewhere between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed, if it seems too thick.
• Transfer the puréed squash to the reserved skillet and keep warm over very low heat. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water, along with 1 tablespoon salt, and cook until al dente. Just before draining, ladle 1/2 cup pasta water into a measuring cup and set aside.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, then, off the heat, add the 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss until the cheese is incorporated. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle the sage, walnut and lemon zest mixture on top, and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

DUMPLING SQUASH WITH CREAM AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange squash halves, cut side up, in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle sage over each. Pour 1/2 cup stock into each dish, and scatter garlic around squashes.
• Bake, covered, until squashes are tender when pierced with a fork, 45 to 55 minutes. Heat broiler with rack about 8 inches from heat source.
• Transfer garlic to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Mash with a fork, and stir in cream and 2 tablespoons liquid from baking dishes. Spoon over squash halves, including edges. Broil squashes until bubbling and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

CREAMIEST WINTER SQUASH WITH RAISINS AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange whole squash on a baking sheet and roast until the skin is papery and a fork inserted in 2 or 3 different spots reveals very tender flesh, about 1 1/4 hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel away the skin, and discard the seeds.
• Meanwhile, pulse raisins, pecans, parsley, sage and orange zest in a food processor until finely chopped and transfer to a bowl; wipe out food processor.
• In the clean food processor, puree warm squash and tofu until very smooth and creamy. (Reheat, if needed, in a medium pot over medium heat.) Transfer to a large bowl or platter, scatter raisin-sage mixture over the top and serve.