Page 31 - CF Roundtable - Winter/Spring 2026

CULINARY CORNER
By: Maggie Williamson
England is so, so dark this time of year.
My motivation is down and the bleakness
sometimes feels like it is reaching into my
soul and squashing it. Too dark!? Well, I guess
I am one of those who gets a little seasonal depression this
time of year. I have managed to crawl back from a stint of IVs
and a bout of COVID-19 directly after said IVs were finished.
It was indeed a rough fall for me. I’m not sure if anyone else
finds this time of year hard, but for me, cooking something
I enjoy usually brightens my mood. I am a big fan of meat
sauce. The classic Bolognese is always delicious, but with this
recipe, I wanted to add a veg right into the sauce to bulk it out
a bit more. The hot Italian sausage also adds another layer of
flavour that I enjoy in this dish. I find Bolognese a great sauce
to add not only to pasta, but polenta, or even a baked potato!
Try this recipe and let me know what you think!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SPICY
ITALIAN SAUSAGE BOLOGNESE
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
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2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and
diced finely into ½ inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced finely
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 lb hot or mild Italian sausage links
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup red wine, such as cabernet
sauvignon (can be omitted)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
SERVES 4
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the diced butternut squash
to a baking tray. Once the oven is to temperature, add the butternut
squash and let cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the pieces are fork tender.
Take out of the oven and set aside for later.
Step 2: Add olive oil to a deep-bottomed pan or Dutch oven. Heat the
pan to medium. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for
10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Remove the casing from the
sausages and add them into the pan, breaking them up into bite-sized
crumbles as they brown. Cook until sausage is browned and slightly
caramelized on the outside and fully cooked on the inside.
Step 3: Once the sausage is cooked, add the minced garlic. Stir for one
minute and then add the wine. Let the wine cook down for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute. Then add
the can of tomatoes. Stir in the oregano and fresh parsley with salt and
pepper.
Step 5: Let the sauce cook down for 30 minutes to an hour. The longer
it cooks, the more the flavours develop and therefore the better it will
be. Once you have finished cooking, add the butternut squash and stir
to combine. Serve with your choice of pasta or polenta. Or, serve over
baked potatoes!
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