Cheese Tortellini in butternut squash sauce

Enjoy the flavors of fall with delicious cheese Tortellini in a butternut squash sauce, finished with thick shreds of parmesan cheese and a dash of nutmeg.

Disclosure: I’m honored to be partnering with United Dairy Industry of Michigan in order to bring you delicious dairy recipes that your whole family will love! As always, all opinions are my own.

I've said it over and over that summer is my favorite season, and it is, but fall is a very close second. Really, I wish we could just go summer, fall, summer, fall. 🙂  

I actually do enjoy all four seasons, I've learned to appreciate the uniqueness of each one over time. But I for sure have my favorites! I think fall is my favorite season to cook in. It's a time when things pick back up again, you have cooler crisp air, you don't mind turning your oven on. The pace changes from relaxation to get moving. At least it feels this way for me. But the food, oh the food! Healthy Baked Apples, cider, butternut squash...

Speaking of butternut squash, I bring you today's recipe delicious recipe--Cheese Tortellini in Butternut Squash Sauce! It's so creamy, and smooth, and cheesy and warm and comforting, {sigh} it's so fall. It's so fabulous!

I just can't imagine my life without cheese. Are you with me? There's so many different varieties. It can be cold and sharp and tangy, it can be warm and gooey and creamy. It can stand alone, yet it adds so much to a dish. But aside from all this goodness, cheese is not only goodness, it's good for you. It contains  many nutrients such as calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. To learn more of the benefits of dairy, visit United Dairy Industries of Michigan's website. It's a wealth of information. Go here for more great dairy recipes.

Let's get cooking!

Gather your ingredients:  butternut squash, olive oil, fresh sage, fresh garlic, half and half, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, and cheese tortellini.

First cut off the ends of the squash and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the seeds! This is completely optional, but it makes a wonderful garnish with a little crunch. Brush the squash with olive oil and place it on a baking sheet  flesh side up. Toss 5-6 garlic cloves (skins on) with olive oil and add them to the tray. Roast the squash and the garlic until the squash is fork tender, it'll take about 45 minutes to an hour. Watch the garlic, you may need to remove it a little sooner. It will get nice and soft and become like a paste almost, it will squeeze right out of the skins.

Meanwhile, clean off the seeds. Boil them for 10 minutes, strain, and dry them with a paper towel. Lay them out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with some salt.
When the squash comes out of the oven, pop these in. They'll need 20-30 minutes. Give them a little toss every 10 minutes or so until they are golden. Then take them out and let them cool.

After the squash is finished roasting and is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place it in a blender or food processor. I use my Vitamix. It gets it really smooth! Now add the garlic (squeeze it out of its skins), 1 cup of half and half, and sage leaves. Puree the mixture until it's smooth. Pour the puree into a medium saucepan and start warming it up. At this point, you can add some salt and pepper to taste, along with ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. You also will probably need to add water to thin it out a bit. It's really your preference on how much you add. I added about ¾ of a cup and it was still a nice thick sauce.

Time to cook the cheese tortellini! Bring water to a boil and add the tortellini. You can use fresh or frozen. Follow the package directions for proper cooking time. I used fresh tortellini and it only cooks for 2 minutes. Once you've drained it, return it back to the pan and add the butternut squash sauce. Gently stir it until it's combined. Serve garnished with thick shreds of fresh parmesan cheese and toasted squash seeds. Oh my yum!!!

Eat this with a fresh green salad and a hunk of bread. Delicious!

And you? Do you have a favorite fall flavor? Please share in the comments!

For more irresistible recipes, follow United Dairy Industries of Michigan on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube.

📋 Recipe

Cheese Tortellini in butternut squash sauce

Creamy cheesy and comforting! This tortellini swims in a homemade sauce of butternut squash.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Chellie Schmitz

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 medium butternut squash
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic skins on
• ▢ 2 Tbs olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup half and half
• ▢ ¾ cup water
• ▢ 6 leaves fresh sage chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 12 oz Cheese Tortellini

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375
• Cut ends off of squash, slice in half length wise and scoop out seeds.
• Reserve seeds.
• Place squash cut side up on baking sheet.
• Brush squash with olive oil.
• Toss garlic cloves with olive oil and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake until squash is fork tender, about 45 minutes.
• Prep the seeds:
• Clean off pulp and boil seeds for 10 minutes.
• drain the seeds and blot with a towel. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt.
• Place in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until seeds are golden.
• Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place in a blender or food processor.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin, and add to the blender as well.
• Add sage leaves, half and half, salt and pepper.
• Puree until smooth.
• Pour sauce into a medium sauce pan to warm.
• Add nutmeg and stir.
• To cook the tortellini:
• Bring water to a boil in a large sauce pan.
• Add tortellini and follow package instructions.
• Strain Tortellini and return back to the pan.
• Add the butternut squash sauce to the pasta and stir to combine.
• Add some water if it is too thick.
• Serve pasta with thick shreds of fresh parmesan cheese and toasted squash seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13430IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg

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