Name: Pureed Butternut Squash with Sage and Toasted Almonds
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 medium butternut squash (about 4 pounds); ¼ cup half-and-half; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves; Brown sugar; Salt and pepper; ½ cup toasted and sliced almonds

Why This Recipe Works

With its silky texture and earthy, lightly sweet flavor, pureed butternut squash is a crowd-pleasing cool-weather side dish. Most recipes for pureed squash are similar in that they call for cooking the squash until tender and then pureeing it with some butter and/or heavy cream in a food processor. We pitted four butternut squash cooking methods against one another: roasting, steaming, braising, and microwaving. Roasting took more than an hour, while steaming and braising washed away some of the distinct squash flavor. Microwaving, in addition to being one of the easiest and fastest cooking methods, won tasters over for producing a clean, sweet squash flavor. We found that microwaving peeled chunks, rather than halves or whole squash, resulted in even cooking. Squash cooked this way needed only a small amount of dairy to add some complexity. We found the ideal additions to be butter and half-and-half; the combination added richness without overpowering the squash flavor. Infusing the butter with sage and topping the puree with toasted almonds elevated this side dish.

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

Using a sharp vegetable peeler or chef’s knife, remove skin and fibrous threads from squash, just below the skin (peel until squash is completely orange with no white flesh remaining, rough ⅛ inch deep). Halve butternut squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Discard skin, seeds, and fibrous threads. Cut squash halves into 1½ inch chunks. Place the squash in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high until squash is tender and easily pierced with a dinner fork, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring the squash halfway through the cooking time.

While squash cooks, toast ½ cup sliced almonds in 8-inch skillet, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Set nuts aside in bowl.

In now-empty skillet, cook 2 tablespoons of the butter with minced sage over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Carefully remove cover from squash bowl (watch for scalding steam). Drain the squash in a colander, then transfer it to a food processor.

Recipe Tip

Add the half-and-half, melted sage butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

TO STORE

Transfer the puree to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.)

TO SERVE

Transfer the puree to a microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power, stirring occasionally, until hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and season with additional sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with toasted almonds before serving.