America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Sage Sauce

By Russell Selander

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high

Yield

Makes about 6 cups; enough for 1 pound pasta

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Sage Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, chopped fine3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage 2 garlic cloves, minced¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2½ cups vegetable broth ¼ cup dry white wine 1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups)Salt and pepper 3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Instructions

  1. 1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, 1½ tablespoons sage, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 cup broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Stir remaining 1½ cups broth, squash, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
  3. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and remaining 1½ tablespoons sage and toss until spinach is slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Sage Sauce
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Marie Piraino.

Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Sage Sauce

Headshot of Russell Selander
By Russell Selander
4.5(10)
7Comments
Save
Saved

Time

5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high

Yield

Makes about 6 cups; enough for 1 pound pasta

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2½ cups vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups)
Salt and pepper
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2½ cups vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups)
Salt and pepper
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2½ cups vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups)
Salt and pepper
3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

Pasta paired with butternut squash and a sage-infused butter sauce is always a winner, but often this dish loses its focus with too much butter overwhelming the delicate nuttiness of the squash. We were hoping to create a lighter and more brothy version of this sauce in the slow cooker. To start, we got out a skillet to create our base, sautéing the onion in butter, then adding the aromatics and flour. Once the aromatics were softened and the raw flavor cooked out of the flour, we deglazed the pan with broth and wine, making sure to scrape up any flavorful browned bits on the bottom of the pan. To this base we added more broth and the squash; as it simmered in the slow cooker, the mixture became superflavorful, making the perfect delicate sauce for the pasta. At the end of the cooking time we added spinach, which gave the dish a bright green color and healthy kick.

Instructions

  1. 1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, 1½ tablespoons sage, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 cup broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Stir remaining 1½ cups broth, squash, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
  3. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and remaining 1½ tablespoons sage and toss until spinach is slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

Side DishesSlow CookerSaucesVegetables
This is a members' feature.