I tried to make a low fodmap squash sauce recipe last year but it just didn’t work out. I finally felt brave enough to try again and here we are!
This attempt went far better and the end result was a huge success! The key to a digestion-friendly squash sauce is to not solely use butternut squash, as it is high in fodmaps and the safe quantity per serving for a low fodmap is so low it would be impossible to make a sauce from that small of a quantity. Also, figuring out how to give it flavor without using onions or garlic for those with Reflux.
Luckily, there is a squash that is very friendly for low fodmappers! Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is the squash I speak of and it looks like this:
The downside of kabocha squash is it’s definitely a bit more difficult to cut up than butternut squash, but you can cut it into fairly large sections for roasting, so it’s not too bad. As long as you have a good chef knife and use some muscle, you’ll be fine. See my step-by-step tutorial with photo guide here. The tutorial goes a bit farther than the steps needed for this recipe, but it’s perfect for showing and explaining the important things to do when cutting this squash up.
Squash-cutting aside, this sauce is quite simple to make and the end result is definitely worth the effort! It’s smooth and flavorful and is a great addition to your fall recipe repertoire.
Roasted Squash Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup roasted butternut squash (see instructions below for how to roast it) - NOTE: If you do not have to follow a Low FODMAP diet, you may use 1 cup of roasted butternut squash for this recipe and leave the kabocha squash out entirely if you'd like)
- 3/4 cup roasted kabocha squash (Kabocha squash a/k/a Japanese pumpkin - see instructions below for how to roast it)
- 1 Tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (very finely chopped - so it looks almost as if it's ground)
- 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (very finely chopped - so it looks almost as if it's ground)
- 1/2 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves (very finely chopped - so it looks almost as if it's ground)
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth (I use my homemade broth - recipe here - and I used 1+1/2 cups for mine which made a fairly thick sauce)
- 1/2 cup blended cottage cheese (instructions for how to blend cottage cheese found here)
Instructions
- Begin by roasting the squashes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with foil (your future self will really thank you for this when you go to clean up). For the butternut squash, simply cut a whole squash in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds, then place the squash halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Note: You do not need to use oil for the butternut squash, you do not need to poke holes anywhere in the butternut squash and you want to cook it cut-side down to avoid splatter. - Bake in the preheated oven for ~40-45 minutes until completely cooked and a fork goes through the squash easily. Remove from oven, flip the squash halves over and scoop out 1/4 cup of the squash to be used for this recipe (use the rest for whatever your heart desires!).
Note: To save some time, I recommend cooking the butternut squash and kabocha squash at the same time. See next step for how to cook the kabocha squash. - For the kabocha squash, cut the squash into quarters (see tutorial on how to do this here. Follow the instructions through step 3, so you have 6 wedges of squash.
- Toss the 6 squash wedges with 1 Tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil, then place squash on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down/cut-side up. Bake in the preheated oven for ~40 minutes until thoroughly cooked and a fork goes through the squash easily. Remove from the oven and scoop out 3/4 cup of the squash to be used.
- When both squashes are done, place the 1/4 cup butternut squash, 3/4 cup kabocha squash, blended cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of the broth into a food processor/blender. Pulse until a puree forms, then add in the remaining broth slowly, processing/blending after each addition, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
You can also blend with an immersion blender, if you want an even smoother sauce, but I find the food processor or blender works fine. - Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency, add in the herbs and mix to thoroughly combine. The sauce is most likely cold at this point, so heat the sauce in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
Note: the sauce may thicken again during heating, so add a bit more broth if desired. - Use as a sauce for pasta, chicken, rice, etc. I even use it when baking chicken (put the sauce on top of chicken breasts in a baking pan, and bake until cooked through. I usually add ~1 Tbsp. of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top halfway through baking too).
Notes
*Information above includes actual amount of olive oil that ends up in the squash (since the rind isn't used, I estimate only 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil per recipe.*
*Information above is based on the specific brands/types of ingredients I used (as one example, pink himalayan sea salt is lower sodium than regular salt). Values vary if using any other brands/types of ingredients.*
*The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.* *Back to Top of Page*