Ingredients
Just a few easy ingredients stand between you and this delicious pumpkin ale meat sauce.
- olive oil
- ground turkey (or chicken)
- butternut squash
- heavy cream
- tomato paste
- pumpkin ale (use amber lager or ales as a substitute and add a pinch or two of pumpkin spice)
- Parmesan cheese
- pumpkin seeds
- seasonings and fresh sage
You will also need pasta to enjoy it with and to that end we recommend pappardelle.
Why Use Pumpkin Ale
When it comes to drinking pumpkin ale...Not that easy. We have made great efforts over the years to like pumpkin ales. We have sampled many at breweries and bought a fair number to try at home. Too sweet and too pumpkin spiced for our tastes.
The closest we have ever come to liking these seasonal brews is pumpkin saisons, because of the insatiability of saison yeast, which relentlessly goes after every last sugary particle in the wort than can be devoured and helps the beer finish dry. Unfortunately, it does not get rid of pumpkin spice aromas. Therein lurks the problem. We're just not into drinking pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice lattes disguised as beer.
When it comes to recipes though...we are like "Hello, pumpkin ales! So good to hang out with you again!" Pumpkin ale is excellent to cook with and bake with. It gently sweetens and imparts subtle pumpkin spice aromas and flavor. Subtle. For this, both Chris and I are very grateful.
Using ground turkey is a great choice in this recipe because it's almost neutral flavor wise and very receptive to flavor infusions coming from ales, spices or other ingredients. In addition, the longer you simmer ground turkey in a sauce, the more it melts into the sauce. If you use a slow cooker, it can almost disappear into a sauce - like with this Farmhouse Ale Turkey Chili.
Because the sage roasted butternut squash has a mild sweet flavor, accentuated by salt & pepper and because grated Parmesan imparts a briny nuttiness to the sauce as it simmers, the pumpkin ale simply shines here.
Recipe
Pumpkin Ale Meat Sauce with Sage Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 small butternut squashes or 1 medium to large
- 10 fresh sage leaves plus more, see below
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4-5 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
- 1 12 oz pumpkin ale
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ cup water approximately, to thin out sauce as needed
- 1 lb ground turkey lean
- ¼ cup cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 1-2 sprigs of fresh sage for garnish
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds for garnish
- Parmesan shavings for garnish
- Pappardelle pasta enough for 4 servings
Instructions
- Heat up oven to 400 °F.
- Peel the butternut squash, slice it in half, clean the seeds out and dice it into 2 inch cubes.
- Place in a bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoon olive oil + sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Add the fresh sage leaves and toss well. Spread over a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 minutes, take out of the oven and set aside until needed.
- In a frying pan over medium heat sweat the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once translucent, add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper and begin to gently break down the ground turkey with a wooden spoon.
- Cook until browned and set aside.
- In the meantime in a large pot over medium high heat bring the pumpkin ale to simmer.
- Turn off the heat and add the sage roasted squash and the tomato paste to the ale.
- Using a hand held immersion blender begin blending until you achieve a smooth texture. Thin out with water as needed, keeping in mind that you will simmer the sauce for another 5-10 min. (Alternatively, place the roasted squash inside a blender, add the tomato paste and warm pumpkin ale and blend with a towel covering the opening in the center of the lid. You may need to work in two batches. Start blending on slow. DO NOT OVERFILL the blender, the hot mixture will explode everywhere. Return to pot where you simmered the ale once done blending).
- Turn the heat back on, to medium low and add the ground turkey to the ale & butternut squash mixture.
- Add the grated Parmesan and cream, stir well and simmer for 5 to 10 min. The sauce will then be ready. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- While sauce is simmering, prepare enough pasta (al dente, pappardelle recommended, boil for about 7 minutes) for 4 servings.
- Toss strained pasta with a lump or two of unsalted butter, divide between 4 bowls, top generously with pumpkin ale meat sauce.
- Garnish with pumpkin seeds, Parmesan shavings and fresh sage. Serve immediately.
Video
Lianne
Oh this looks good! I didn't know that you could get pumpkin ale, something new to try 🙂
Lianne | Makes, Bakes and Decor
CraftBeering
Lol, thank you Lianne!
Melissa
Pasta is my first love - this sauce looks divine. Pinned so I can make it later!!
CraftBeering
Thank you Melissa!
Michele Michael
Salivating. I need to try this. Found you at Too Cute Tuesday
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
This sounds divine!!! Perfect for cold Fall evenings 🙂 thanks for sharing at Friday Frenzy Link Party!!
CraftBeering
Thank you Kelly!
Jen
I think you just went and made pasta even better with this recipe! Yum! Thanks for sharing this at the #happynowlinkup
CraftBeering
Thank you so much Jen!
Leslie
Mmmmmmm....pasta is one of my absolute favorites. And I always love trying new sauces. In fact, the husband was looking over my shoulder and commented on how good this looks. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
CraftBeering
Thank you and your husband!!! Hope your kitchen remodel is going great - just watched your video on Instagram:)
annie@ciaochowbambina
Comfort on a plate! These flavors in a pasta dish are everything I want these days. Now I happen to like pumpkin ale but I'm just now wondering if it's more about the romance of having a pumpkin brew on a crisp autumn day or if it's really the flavor I like?! I'm going to have to do some research! Great video!!
CraftBeering
Thank you Annie! I love the phrase "romance of having a pumpkin brew on a crisp autumn day". That right there is enough to prompt me to try another one. A sample:) Since it sounds so beautiful! There is a new Atomic Pumpkin Ale here in our town (well, across America really) brewed by New Belgium. I'll buy it this week. Last year they had a Pumpkin ale with cranberries which was interesting since there were definitely some sour notes. (But we still have 3 bottles of it in our 'for cooking'cooler, lol).
Caras Kitchen
This seriously looks amazing. I love using season produce and making something fun and new with it. You really put a fun spin on butternut squash, very inspired 🙂
Georgie | The Home Cook's Kitchen
i actually have some pumpkin ale in the fridge that I need to use, but can't stand the taste of it as a beer! def will give this a try, i love the idea of using it in a savoury dish!
CraftBeering
I know exactly what you mean Goergie:) Cook a pasta sauce with the pumpkin ale!
CraftBeering
Hi Agness! I wish we did...It is a store bought tomato paste from Trader Joe's. Pretty tasty:)
Abbe@This is How I Cook
I happen to have some pumpkin ale that this would be perfect for! Sounds fabulous and I can't wait to try it!
Marvellina | What To Cook Today
I probably come from another planet but this is the first time I've heard of pumpkin ale LOL! Pumpkin ale meat sauce sounds MIGHTY good though. And I agree with you on not wanting everything pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie in my food. Nothing against that but it doesn't always have to taste like that! I love using pumpkin in curry, and pasta sauces like this with fresh herbs. I'm keeping pumpkin ale in mind now for future experiment 😉
CraftBeering
LOL, pumpkin ale is such a controversial one! We know people who outright hate it, won't even make the effort to taste a new one. That is a great idea to use pumpkin in a curry. We usually default to sweet potato chunks. Squash or pumpkin would be fun, will have to try it. Thank you Marvellina!
Mary
Roasted butternut squash was one of the only squashes my mother mastered, she would rosted it, add a little cinnamon and butter and the entire family was more than happy to devour it. This sauce look pretty darn tasty, I like that you used turkey instead of ground beef, I always sneak turkey into meals when no one is looking, they can never tell the difference. Loving your video!! You are so talented, I really need to get one of those cool hand mixers. Have a great week my friend.
CraftBeering
Thank you Mary:) I can almost smell the cinnamon and butter roasted butternut squash. Divine! About that handheld mixer - I always choose the immersion blender attachment over a regular blender because of the less washing required in the end, lol. So much easier! Have a great rest of the week!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Oddly enough, I don't think I've ever had a pumpkin ale with too much pumpkin spice. . .maybe I just blocked it out? Because drinking pumpkin pie just sounds unpleasant :). But this dish sounds totally perfect for the season. I love butternut sososo much! And with sage and pasta and some pumpkin ale, I'm pretty sure life doesn't get better. Hope you're having a great Tuesday!
CraftBeering
I think that it is our low tolerance level for pumpkin spice in beer that is to blame:) Always feel like it is overpowering when drinking it. One time tried a pumpkin milk stout and all I could think of is that it can go in a baking recipe (leave that to you:), but could never finish a glass of it, lol. Thank you Kelsie!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I don't if I'll ever fully figure this whole blog thing out, lol....there's always something to learn! I actually love pumpkin ales and look forward to them every year. The ones I've had haven't been sweet (I'm not into too sweet things anyway). I bet this would be so awesome to cook with and love that your paired with another fall favourite - squash...and a touch of cream is just perfect! Great job on the video too, you guys! Cheers!
CraftBeering
Thank you Dawn! Yes, we'd much rather eat pumpkin or pumpkin spice treats than find them in beer:) It is incredible how pumpkin ales add flavor to food though. Have a wonderful week!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
What a perfectly Fall pasta dish! Love butternut squash and with the pumpkin ale, it must have such great flavour! Beautiful!
CraftBeering
Thank you Jennifer. It turned out quite tasty - will be making it again in the future:)