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Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce recipe photograph

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Tip the softened vegetables into a 3.5 litre slow cooker. Add the butternut squash, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, rosemary, oregano, sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the squash is tender and the sauce has thickened. Do not lift the lid during the first 5 hours unless necessary.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans and baby spinach. Cover again and cook for 10 minutes, until the beans are hot and the spinach has wilted.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving about 100 ml of the pasta water.
Stir the Parmesan and lemon juice into the slow cooker sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Loosen with a little reserved pasta water if needed.
Serve the sauce with the pasta and extra Parmesan. Let the food cool slightly before serving to children, checking that the squash is soft and the beans are thoroughly hot.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large saucepan
Colander
Wooden spoon

Swaps and substitutions

Cannellini beans → Butter beans or haricot beans
Use a drained and rinsed 400 g tin.
Parmesan → Mature Cheddar
Use finely grated Cheddar for a slightly stronger flavour.
Baby spinach → Frozen leaf spinach
Thaw and squeeze out excess water before adding.
Dried pasta → Wholewheat pasta or gluten-free pasta
Cook according to the packet instructions.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool the sauce promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container within two hours. Keep for up to 3 days. Store cooked pasta separately where possible. Freeze the sauce in portions for up to 3 months; cooked pasta is best made fresh. Defrost: Defrost frozen sauce overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if necessary, and serve with freshly cooked pasta.
Reheating: Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water if it has thickened. Reheat only once and cook fresh pasta if possible.
Leftover ideas: Use leftover sauce as a filling for baked pasta, spoon it over jacket potatoes, or thin it with extra stock to make a quick squash and bean soup.

Allergen information

Contains milk if Parmesan or Cheddar is used, and contains gluten if served with standard wheat pasta. Use gluten-free pasta and a suitable dairy-free cheese alternative if required, checking packaging for allergen information.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

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Recipe info

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2 cm cubes
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
400 ml vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100 g baby spinach
300 g dried pasta
40 g finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Vegetarian, Family dinner, Pasta, Butternut squash, White beans, Budget-friendly, Freezer-friendly

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce

Name: Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 380 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 800 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2 cm cubes; 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes; 400 ml vegetable stock; 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon sugar; 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 100 g baby spinach; 300 g dried pasta; 40 g finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

This comforting slow cooker pasta sauce combines sweet butternut squash, creamy white beans and rosemary in a rich tomato base. Stir through spinach at the end and serve with pasta for an easy, filling family dinner.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large saucepan
Colander
Wooden spoon

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2 cm cubes
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
400 ml vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100 g baby spinach
300 g dried pasta
40 g finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Substitutions

Cannellini beans → Butter beans or haricot beans (Use a drained and rinsed 400 g tin.)
Parmesan → Mature Cheddar (Use finely grated Cheddar for a slightly stronger flavour.)
Baby spinach → Frozen leaf spinach (Thaw and squeeze out excess water before adding.)
Dried pasta → Wholewheat pasta or gluten-free pasta (Cook according to the packet instructions.)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Tip the softened vegetables into a 3.5 litre slow cooker. Add the butternut squash, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, rosemary, oregano, sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the squash is tender and the sauce has thickened. Do not lift the lid during the first 5 hours unless necessary.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans and baby spinach. Cover again and cook for 10 minutes, until the beans are hot and the spinach has wilted.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving about 100 ml of the pasta water.
Stir the Parmesan and lemon juice into the slow cooker sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Loosen with a little reserved pasta water if needed.
Serve the sauce with the pasta and extra Parmesan. Let the food cool slightly before serving to children, checking that the squash is soft and the beans are thoroughly hot.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool the sauce promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container within two hours. Keep for up to 3 days. Store cooked pasta separately where possible. Freeze the sauce in portions for up to 3 months; cooked pasta is best made fresh. Defrost: Defrost frozen sauce overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if necessary, and serve with freshly cooked pasta.

Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water if it has thickened. Reheat only once and cook fresh pasta if possible.

Use leftover sauce as a filling for baked pasta, spoon it over jacket potatoes, or thin it with extra stock to make a quick squash and bean soup.

Allergen information

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash, White Bean and Rosemary Pasta Sauce

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

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