Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

This delicious roasted butternut squash pasta recipe with a rich, creamy sauce is a cozy fall favorite dinner, and for good reason.

creamy butternut squash pasta

If you’re looking for healthy comfort food recipes that the whole family will love, try this classic fall pasta dish.

Your guests will always ask for the recipe and people will want to go back for seconds!

Thick, rich, saucy and flavorful, our Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is poured over perfectly cooked pasta for a simple vegetarian dinner.

Perfect for fancy parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Or add some excitement to your usual weeknight by serving this healthy butternut squash pasta in place of your usual marinara or pesto.

Sweet potato brownie for dessert

Watch the video above on how to make butternut squash pasta.

Roasted Butternut Pasta Sauce Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients: winter squash, garlic, salt, pepper, dried thyme and nutmeg, olive oil or spray, shallots or onions, cream cheese or coconut cream, pasta of your choice, milk of your choice, and optional parmesan. cheese or nutritional yeast.

Butternut squash: Chopped acorn squash and sweet potatoes can also be used in this recipe. I never tried to replace pumpkin with butternut squash.

shallot: These are slightly sweeter and milder than onions. If you don’t have shallots on hand, substitute 1 small onion for 3 shallots.

garlic: I use minced garlic to make it easier to make. You can also buy whole garlic cloves and finely chop the peeled cloves to make minced garlic.

Suitable for vegans Use butternut squash pasta sauce, nutritional yeast and coconut cream or dairy-free cream cheese. Use oil instead of brown butter. Unlike some other butternut squash pasta recipes, this one doesn’t call for goat cheese or ricotta cheese.

What is the best pasta to use?

The sky is the limit when it comes to pasta in this recipe.

I like to choose tube pasta shapes or pastas with a large surface area and creases.

Examples of pasta shapes that work well include penne, rotini, shell, farfalle, rigatoni, cavatappi, wagon wheel, and elbow macaroni.

You can also make the recipe with spaghetti, fettuccine, or your favorite gluten-free pasta.

Can I use frozen butternut squash?

You can buy pre-chopped pieces of butternut squash (an easy time-saving trick), or you can peel and cut whole squash. Both packaged and whole butternuts should be readily available at Wegmans, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and regular grocery stores.

Frozen butternut squash can be used if the options above are not available. Thoroughly thaw chunks before roasting and blot excess moisture with paper towels.

If you’re making your own chopped butternut squash, first rinse the whole winter squash with water. Then use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off.

Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut the remaining squash into pieces about 0.5 inches.

how to make a recipe

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash with the shallots, oil or spray, half the salt, and a few shakes of ground pepper.

Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray. (Shallots will roast faster, so wrap them in tin foil or discard a few small pieces that might burn during roasting.)

Place tray on center rack of non-preheated oven. Close the door and raise the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for 35 minutes. Transfer the baked vegetables to a blender or pan and add the milk of your choice, cream cheese or coconut cream, the remaining salt, thyme, nutmeg and minced garlic.

Blend until the homemade butternut squash sauce is completely smooth, or use an immersion blender.

Boil water in a pot, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. drain. For best results, do not rinse the pasta.

Heat sauce to desired serving temperature. Stir in pasta. If adding a protein source, stir again.

Serve in a bowl or plate and garnish with nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese and optionally fresh sage.

Serve pasta with any of these cauliflower recipes

Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe Serving Suggestions

Before serving, garnish with sprigs of fresh sage or dried rosemary, if desired.

Roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed mushrooms, avocado salad, or grilled asparagus are nice side dishes for this cheesy winter pasta dish.

Or choose a simple kale or spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, toasted pecans or walnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

For a one-dish dinner, stir in your cooked protein of choice at the end.

If you have vegetarian guests, provide them with bacon, sausage, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or other meats before adding them to the pot.

Storing and reheating leftovers

The Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce can be stored as is or layered over pasta.

Allow pasta and sauces to cool, then refrigerate in covered pots or airtight meal prep containers with lids – I used These glass meal prep containers.

Leftover pasta will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. If you don’t mind a little stickiness after thawing, you can also freeze it.

To reheat the remaining servings individually, add a little milk (or plant-based milk) to each serving before heating in the microwave. Alternatively, add the pasta to a saucepan with a little milk of your choice and reheat over low heat, stirring frequently.

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(Want to make butternut squash mac and cheese? Simply replace pumpkin with butternut squash in the recipe above.)

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