Butternut Squash Pasta

Butternut squash is THE autumn vegetable! You can make anything with it, from gnocchi and ravioli to risotto and this scrumptious and creamy butternut squash pasta.

This recipe is straight-up beginner-level since there's not much cooking involved. But the taste is not beginner at all. Every bite is packed with flavor and an irresistible chewy-creamy texture.

The secret? A creamy-dreamy, velvety butternut squash pasta sauce you could eat with a spoon straight out of the blender.

To make it, we roast the ingredients in the oven because they get so flavorful this way. Roasted butternut squash is so-much-better than stovetop butternut squash!

And while the veggies roast in the oven, you can cook your favorite pasta shape, al dente, drain it and stir it in the sauce.

And that's it! That's how to make the tastiest and creamiest butternut squash pasta.

Butternut squash

You can get whole butternut squash, peel it, and chop it yourself. Or you can purchase pre-cut butternut squash to save some time.

You can substitute pumpkin or another winter squash for butternut squash. To add extra flavor to the squash, you can roast it with a 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 and make the creamy butternut squash pasta more balanced and fulfilling.

Parmesan

Parmesan is for taste! Lots of taste. If you are vegan, you can keep the parmesan cheese out, or replace it with a vegan cheese replacement.

Pistachio nuts and thyme leaves

We garnish the plate with toasted pistachio nuts for a little nutty crunch, and fresh thyme leaves for a pleasant aroma. You can substitute walnuts for pistachios, or you can omit nuts all-together, and simply 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, then drain the pasta and add it to the pan.

Tip: we like to add some extra freshly ground blacked pepper.

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

Serve the butternut squash pasta with fresh thyme laves, pistachio nuts, and optionally a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

This creamy butternut squash pasta pairs well with greens and roasted veggies on the side. Here are some vibrant side dish ideas:

• Simple side salad with fresh leafy greens
• Crunchy kale chips with lemon and garlic
• Italian salad with oregano dressing
• Braised artichokes - Italian style on the stovetop with mint and lemon
• Steamed artichokes - tender, meaty, and creamy
• Cucumber and tomato salad for a lighter side dish
• Brussels sprout salad made with crunchy shaved brussels sprouts
• Roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic
• Roasted Brussels sprout with maple syrup
• Oven-baked veggie tray

Dairy-free butternut squash pasta (vegan)

To make this recipe vegan, you can either keep out ricotta and parmesan cheese or replace them with vegan alternatives.

If you decide to keep them out, keep in mind that the sauce will be sweeter and lighter. We'd recommend topping the pasta with a tasty mix of fried sage and walnuts.

Chop the sage and the walnuts and gently fry them on a non-stick pan for one minute in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and with a pinch of salt.

Transfer them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb extra oil, then drizzle on top of the pasta.

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.

After a few hours in the fridge, the pasta sauce will inevitably thicken up. To make it creamy again, warm it up with a dash of reserved pasta water on a pan or in the microwave for two minutes.

Freezer: this recipe is not freezer friendly.

Looking for other creamy-licious recipes? Check out our:

• Roasted red pepper pasta with roasted cauliflower
• Easy homemade sweet potato gnocchi with microwaved sweet potato
• 20-minute broccoli pasta with an easy mash-and-eat sauce
• Cauliflower pasta with garlic, parsley, and pine nuts
• Lentil pasta with ditalini pasta, cherry tomatoes, and real Italian flavor
• Pasta e fagioli with beans and rich tomato sauce, it's a family-friendly dinner idea!
• Mushroom pasta: a veggie-packed pasta ready in just 30 minutes
• Eggplant pasta (pasta alla norma) with tender roasted eggplant and tomato sauce

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

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