Roasted Acorn Squash, Sage & Pecans Sauce with Rice Noodles
Best autumn flavours on a plate. This amazing Roasted Acorn Squash, Sage and Pecans Sauce with Rice Noodles is buttery and nutty, slightly salty and sweet, and a lot delicious. It's an irresistible comforting dish made in just a little over 30 minutes.
Here's a new Soulfullly Tasty Signature Recipe for you, friends! This recipe will make you fall in love with the acorn squash if you haven't already. It's one of the tastiest squash, in my opinion, but if I think it's tough to choose. There are the summer and winter squashes, and so many types under each category. The acorn squash is a winter squash, and the best to serve it is bakes or stuffed.
All the ingredients in this recipe were carefully selected and tested together to create an aromatic sauce with distinct flavours that will make it a dish to remember.
Star Ingredients:
- Acorn Squash. Sweet, buttery and firm in texture, starchy, a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium; skin can be consumed after the squash is baked and tender;
- Pecans. Sweet and bitter, with a buttery flavour, a good source of vitamin E and Thiamin (vitamin B1), packed with antioxidant properties and critical minerals, low in sugar, beneficial for the heart health;
- Sage. Aromatic herb, sweet, bitter, earthy, slightly spicy notes, used for digestive issues, high in vitamin K, best used fresh versus dried.
- Miso. Fermented soybean paste, known for its umami (savoury) taste, rich in essential minerals, food used for maintaining a healthy gut, aids digestion, best used fresh to make salad dressings or instant sauces for side dishes.
Health & Flavour-Boosting Recipe Tips:
- Using fresh herbs during the cooking process ensures the best release of flavour into your food, especially when added towards the end of the cooking process ( e.g. within the last five to ten minutes of a boiling process);
- Before using fresh herbs, clean well by immersing in a bowl of cold water a few times, then pat dry with a clean cotton towel or paper towel (Chlorine-free);
- When cleaning and roasting winter squash such as acorn squash, butternut squash, dumpling squash, kabocha, do not through away the inside seeds. Clean, dry and roast seeds to reap the benefits of the omega 3-6 fatty acids and other antioxidant properties.
- Pecans are best consumed on their own as low sugar, high in good fats snack, raw, or lightly roasted and used as a salad topper. Keep refrigerated in an airtight jar/ container.
Now, I'm not going to hold back the one ingredient that binds the flavours so beautifully, and that is cinnamon. The bittersweet and lemony notes of the sage are in perfect harmony with the aromatic notes of cinnamon. These two aromatics and the miso paste complement the acorn squash's sweetness, adding a roundness of flavour.
Alternative Ingredients:
- Acorn squash. Best recommended alternative squash is the butternut squash. Use fresh squash during the season or organic canned pumpkin puree (sugar-free).
- Fresh sage leaves. In the absence of fresh herbs, choose the dried version (less in quantity). In the absence of sage or if not preferred, use fresh/ dried thyme or marjoram.
- Pecans. Walnuts are the best alternative in this recipe, and secondly, the brazil nuts.
Serving Suggestions:
- The addition of crushed roasted pecans is one of the secret tips for this recipe's success. The texture and nuttiness of the pecans are highly enjoyable served as a topping.
- If you prefer to warm up the roasted acorn squash sauce, add to a saucepan after the mixing process has ended, and heat up on the stovetop for up to 5 minutes.
Friends, I'm very excited to bring this recipe your way. Now, it's one of my favourite recipes here on the blog, and it's a definite favourite of the season.
Always a pleasure to create tasty, healthy, and easy to recreate recipes for you! I hope you enjoyed this recipe.
Let me know in the comment section below. And, if you make it tag me on one of my social media accounts Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to see your version.
Hugs!
T
Vegan
Sugar-Free
Gluten-Free
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 30-35 min
Total Time: 40 min
Serves: 4
RECIPE
Roasted Acorn Squash, Sage & Pecans Sauce w/ Rice Noodles
Tip: Acorn Squash can be roasted beforehand – and refrigerated if prepared the second day.
The smaller the squash size, the faster it bakes.
Ingredients:
2-3 – small acorn squash (or two medium-sized)
8.8 oz (250 g/pack) – org brown rice noodles (GF)/ or preferred pasta
4 -6 – org fresh sage leaves
1 cup (240 g) – org veggie stock (or water)
½ cup (65 g) – org pecan nuts
1 tbsp (15 g) – miso paste (Shiro)
1 tbsp (14 g) – avocado oil
1 tsp (4 g) – Himalayan salt
¼ tsp (1.42 g) – org cinnamon powder
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat oven at 400° F (2000°C)
Clean the acorn squashes, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and strings. Slice them into thin slices, and place them into a medium-sized bowl. Add the oil, salt, and sage. Mix lightly.
Step 2
Use parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large baking tray, place the acorn squash face-up, and sage leaves.
Bake for 25 minutes.
*During the last 10 minutes of the baking process, prep to boil the noodles.
Step 3
During the last 5 minutes of baking, turn the oven to Broil and add the pecans over the roasted squash. Broil together for the remaining 5-7 minutes max until pecans are browned up/ lightly roasted.
*Step 4
Boil your pasta according to the instructions, rinse and set aside.
Step 5
After the squash is baked and fork-tender, leave to rest of 5-10 minutes before scooping the flesh from the skin. Remove a handful (half of the amount) of the roasted pecans for topping – set aside.
Step 6
Add all the roasted squash to a high-speed blender along with the following ingredients:
- baked sage
- half of the roasted pecans
- cinnamon
- miso paste
- veggie stock (or water)
*Note: Adding more (or less) salt to adjust to your taste is recommended.
Start blending at low speed until all ingredients start mixing together, and gradually increase the speed to high, for obtaining creamy sauce blend for up to 2 minutes.
Step 7
Serving option 1: plate a handful/ one serving of the noodles (or preferred pasta), and pour half of a cup (or as desired) of the warm creamy roasted acorn squash sauce on top. Crush a couple of toasted pecans on top, and dust lightly with cinnamon powder (optional).
Serving option 2: add the cooked noodles to a serving bowl, pour all the creamy roasted acorn squash sauce, stir gently until the noodles are incorporated in the sauce. Crush a fair amount of roasted pecans on top. Plate a handful of creamy squash noodles on each plate and garnish with more roasted pecans and cinnamon powder (optional).
Enjoy while warm and fresh!
Keep the leftover sauce, and pasta refrigerated and consume within three days.
