Instant Pot Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce | Vegan & Gluten-Free

instant pot butternut squash pasta sauce recipe. The sauce is kept in two black bowls

4.67 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce | Vegan & Gluten-Free

Check out how to cook butternut squash in the Instant Pot with minimal chopping and how to make this delicious vegan and gluten-free butternut squash pasta sauce in Instant Pot.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Butternut Squash Cooling Time20

Total Time55

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Butternut squash pasta sauce

Servings:

Calories: 67kcal

Author: Srividhya G

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 butternut squash approx 2 lb
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup Onion chopped
3 Garlic Cloves chopped
1.5 tsp Italian Seasoning
½ tsp Chipotle Chili Flakes
1.25 tsp Salt
½ tsp black pepper freshly ground.
1.5 cups water

Instructions

Step 1: Cooking the Butternut Squash

Trim the top edge of the butternut squash and cut into two halves lengthwise. Then scoop out the seeds and the loose orange strands/fibers.
Add one cup of water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and place the trivet. Now place the butternut squash inside the inner pot like below.
Close the lid and make sure the vent is in the sealing position.
Now cook this at high-pressure manual mode for 15 minutes and release the pressure naturally.

Step 2: Scooping out the Flesh and Mashing

Once the pressure is all released, carefully open the Instant Pot and let the butternut squash cool.
Then remove it from the pot and scoop the flesh and discard the skin. You might get little skin here and there, but as it is well cooked, it is no harm. Now mash the scooped out flesh.

Step 3: Preparing the Pasta Sauce

Drain the water from the Instant Pot and wipe it dry.
Now set the Instant Pot in the saute mode, and when the display shows "HOT," add the olive oil. After 10 to 15 seconds, add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute for two to three minutes.
Then add the mashed butternut squash and then the seasonings - Italian seasoning, chipotle chili flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Add ½ cup of water and mix it thoroughly.
At this stage, you can add one more cup of water and mix it well.
Let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. And that's it. Butternut Squash pasta sauce is ready. Serve it with your favorite cooked pasta.

Video

Notes

The butternut squash I used was weighing 2 pounds. I used the entire mashed butternut squash for the sauce. But you can use it as required and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
Instead of plain water, you can add vegetable broth for more flavor.
Adjust the liquid according to your sauce consistency preference.
You can peel the skin of butternut squash before steaming.
Instead of chipotle chili flakes, you can use cayenne pepper or smoked paprika or red chili powder. Or you can skip this and add extra black pepper.
As always, adjust the salt and other spices according to your preference.

Nutrition