Garlic Sage Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Toasted Pinenuts

Butternut squash is so delicious, but being a tough winter squash it can be a challenge to cook it all the way through without the outside starting to crumble. By using the sous vide cooking method, you can get the butternut squash perfectly cooked. The size of the butternut cubes is important to the timing of the recipe. If you want the chunks a little bigger than what this recipe calls for, simply leave it in the sous vide bath for a little longer.

SERVES: 6

TEMPERATURE: 194ºF

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled

olive oil

4 fresh sage leaves, plus more for the finishing stage

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup toasted pinenuts

Directions:

1.Pre-heat the sous vide water bath to 194ºF.

2.Cut the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes and toss with olive oil, the whole sage leaves, the smashed garlic cloves, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a zipper lock bag and arrange the pieces flat in an even layer. Remove as much of the air as possible from the bag using a vacuum pump or by submerging the bag in the water up to the zipper seal (don’t let any water into the bag), and allowing the water to displace the air in the bag. Seal the bag and drop it into the water bath.

3.Cook in the sous vide bath for 30 minutes.

4.Test the butternut cubes for doneness with a paring knife. The knife should cut into the squash with little to no resistance. If the cubes are not cooked enough to your liking, continue to cook them in the sous vide bath for another 15 minutes.

5.Remove the butternut squash from the water bath and transfer the cubes to a bowl and toss in the cranberries and pinenuts. Season to taste again with salt and pepper and drizzle a little more olive oil on top if desired.

Garlic Sage Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Toasted Pinenuts