Butternut Squash Pasta

Butternut squash

You can buy whole butternut squash, peel it, and chop it yourself, or purchase pre-cut butternut squash to save time.

You can substitute pumpkin or another winter squash for butternut squash. To add flavor, roast the squash with crushed garlic powder or clove and a few sage leaves.

Pasta

Any pasta shape works for this recipe. We use rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, rotini, penne, and even long pasta shapes such as spaghetti and linguine.

To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.

Olive oil

We recommend extra virgin olive oil if you have it; it’s more stable at high temperatures and has a fruitier taste. We use it to roast the butternut squash.

Salt and pepper

We use sea salt or kosher salt to add taste and black pepper for the aroma. The butternut squash sauce can take quite a bit of black pepper; freshly ground is best.

Ricotta

Both regular ricotta cheese and our homemade dairy-free ricotta work well for this recipe.

Ricotta helps soften the sweet butternut squash flavor, making the creamy butternut squash pasta more balanced and fulfilling.

Parmesan

Good quality parmesan cheese adds a complex, savory depth to pasta dishes. Its robust, nutty flavor is complemented by salty and umami notes.

You can leave the parmesan cheese out or substitute it with vegan cheese if you are vegan.

Pistachio nuts and thyme leaves

For a pleasant aroma, we garnish the plate with toasted pistachio nuts for a little nutty crunch and fresh thyme leaves.

You can substitute walnuts for pistachios or omit nuts altogether and sprinkle with parmesan.

Other fresh herbs that work well are sage and parsley.

Step 1: roast the butternut squash

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and seed the butternut squash, then cut it into 1-inch cubes.

Add it to the baking sheet with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Toss and bake for 30 minutes, until completely soft and slightly browned.

Step 2: make the sauce

Transfer the roasted butternut squash to a food processor (or blender) and add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, a few thyme leaves, and water.

Blend until you have a smooth sauce, then transfer it into a large pan.

Step 3: toss in the pasta

Boil the pasta al dente in a large pot with heavily salted water.

Reserve one cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan.

Toss on medium heat for about a minute, adding as much reserved pasta water as needed to make the dish creamy.

Optionally, serve the butternut squash pasta with fresh thyme leaves, pistachio nuts, and grated parmesan cheese.

Louise and I love to serve creamy pasta dishes with mostly raw vegetable sides. Find inspiration in seasonal produce, and try:

• Simple side salad
• Kale salad
• Crunchy kale chips
• Italian salad
• Steamed artichokes
• Brussels sprout salad
• Fennel orange salad

Dairy-free butternut squash pasta

To make this recipe dairy-free, you have two options:

1. Omit the ricotta and parmesan cheese for a naturally sweet, lighter butternut sauce.
2. Use your favorite vegan cheese alternatives – many brands make dairy–free ricotta and parmesan-style products.

We recommend garnishing with toasted sage leaves and walnuts. This combination adds a beautiful savory crunch that perfectly complements the creamy squash sauce.

Storage

Refrigerator: store leftover butternut squash pasta in an airtight container for up to two days. Also, store some reserved pasta water that you’ll use to warm up the pasta on day two.

The pasta sauce will inevitably thicken after a few hours in the fridge. Warm it with a dash of water in a pan or microwave for two minutes to make it creamy again.

Freezer: this recipe is not freezer-friendly.

For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.