Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta combines a velvety, creamy sauce with fettuccini noodles. This healthier meatless pasta is full of protein and vitamins, and will impress even the pickiest of eaters!
Butternut Squash Pasta
Pasta used to get a bad rap in my head. I rarely consumed it because I thought these carbs were to be avoided. But now that I’m a bit older, I realize that moderation is key. Nothing is off limits for me, and I’m thankful that I don’t have food allergies so I CAN eat what I want. With that being said, you can modify this recipe to make it work for you.
I love using butternut squash in recipes and have enjoyed Butternut Squash Lasagna with Spinach, Butternut Squash and Bacon Risotto, and Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad. All of these are perfect fall recipes and loaded with squash.
Why We Love This Pasta Recipe:
- IT’S MEATLESS – We strive to have a couple of meatless meals each week. Better for the environment and better for us if we eat more veggies/less meat. A great recipe for all of the above.
- FULL OF FLAVOR – Using a fair amount of fats and cheese help to achieve the flavors I want in a good pasta dish. These fall flavors are also perfect for this time of year!
- CREAMY – The sauce! Using a blender makes the butternut squash sauce the perfect creamy texture.
- EASY TO ADAPT – There are plenty of ways to adapt this recipe within reason. Use different proportions of ingredients, various pasta types, different cheese and spices.
Ingredients needed for Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Needed to roast the veggies. You could also use avocado oil.
- Onions and Garlic – For lots of flavor, and used in most of my recipes.
- Butternut Squash – The squash is the main ingredient in the sauce. Make sure it is ripe and a dark color inside.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt (or sea salt), freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg. A lot of butternut squash recipes also use sage. Use if desired.
- Broth – I used a lower sodium chicken broth but veggie broth works too.
- Butter – Used to achieve a richer flavor in the sauce. I tested this without too, and it was a noticeable difference.
- Half and Half – Use as much or little as you like, according to your tastes. I decided only a couple of tablespoons were needed. You could also use heavy cream.
- Parmesan Cheese – Adds a salty, cheesy flavor. Top with extra when serving!
- Ricotta Cheese – For extra creaminess and flavor.
- Pasta – Any pasta shape works, but I chose fettuccini noodles for this recipe.
How to make Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta:
Step 1
Prep the butternut squash. Slice both ends of the squash off. Use a potato peeler to peel the skins off the squash. Then cube the squash while removing the seeds.
Step 2
Roast the veggies. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add 4-5 cups (or a little more if you want to add some pieces as garnish) of the cubed squash and the sliced onions to a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast until the veggies are fork tender (approximately 25-30 minutes).
Step 3
Sauté the garlic. Add the butter to a stock pot over low heat, and add the minced garlic. Stir with a spatula for about a minute. Be careful to avoid burning the garlic!
Step 4
Puree veggies. Add the roasted squash cubes and onion to a large high-speed blender. Then add the sautéed garlic (with the butter) and 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the blender. Puree until smooth.
Step 5
Make the sauce. Pour the squash puree into the stock pot. Add the remaining chicken broth, half and half, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and salt/pepper to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Lastly, add the ricotta cheese and stir until creamy and heated through.
Test the cream sauce. Make sure the sauce is to your liking before adding the pasta in. You may need extra salt and pepper or other spices. You also may need to add some pasta water to thin it.
Step 6
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccini pasta (or other pasta of your choice) in a large pot of water, according to package instructions. (Add salt – salt adds FLAVOR.) Cook until the pasta is al dente. Save some pasta water and drain in a colander.
Step 7
Combine. Add the cooked fettuccini to the pot of sauce and stir to combine. You may also want to add some pasta water to the sauce to thin it slightly.
Pro-Tip: ALWAYS save some pasta water in case you need it to thin the sauce!
Step 8
Serve. Test sauce to make sure you have the right amount of seasonings. You may need to add another pinch of salt. Serve pasta with some extra parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. ENJOY!
See below for sides to serve with these delicious pasta dish.
Leftovers
The leftovers are great for up to four days. I prefer to meal prep and add the leftovers to small containers immediately after we eat the pasta for dinner.
Other Pasta Recipes:
- Baked Feta Pasta with Spinach
- Chicken Piccata with Pasta
- Spinach Ricotta Lasagna
- Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff
- Cajun Chicken Sausage Pasta
Recipe Tips and Variations:
- You can either roast the butternut squash or cook it in the stock pot. Either way works. Just make sure you puree the veggies after they’re tender and then add it back to the pot.
- I like to reserve some squash for serving, but this is optional.
- If you roast the veggies, you’ll need to add some broth to the blender when you puree them.
- Adding parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese to the sauce will add some creaminess and saltiness. You can also add other types of cheese, but make they are easy-to-melt cheese.
- Always reserve some pasta water in case you need it to thin the sauce.
- Instead of fettuccini, feel free to use different types of pasta – like regular spaghetti, rotini, or rigatoni.
What to serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta:
- A simple salad or an Arugula Caprese Salad or Classic Wedge Salad.
- Homemade bread like Rosemary Focaccia Bread or reader favorite Chewy French Bread.
- Dessert is always good! Try some Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies or these Triple Chocolate Brownies.
Need a great cocktail? You can always go with a good white wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc) or try my Classic Salty Dogs, Classic Moscow Mules, or The BEST Mai Tais!
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
xoxo ~Sue
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion – chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 4-5 cups) – peeled and cubed (small cubes)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 1/2 cup lower sodium chicken broth plus a tablespoon or more (to desired consistency)
- 2-3 Tablespoons half and half or more, if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese – or more
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 pound fettuccini noodles
- fresh basil and extra parmesan cheese – to serve
Instructions
- Prep the butternut squash. Slice both ends of the squash off. Use a potato peeler to peel the skins off the squash. Then cube the squash while removing the seeds.
- Roast the veggies. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add 4-5 cups (or a little more for the squash garnish) of the cubed squash and the sliced onions to a sheet pan prepared with parchment paper. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast until the veggies are fork tender (approximately 25-30 minutes)
- Sauté the garlic. Add the butter to a stock pot over LOW heat, and add the minced garlic. Stir with a spatula for about a minute. Be careful to avoid burning the garlic!
- Puree veggies. Add the roasted squash and onion to a large blender. Then add the sautéed garlic (with the butter) and 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the blender. Puree until smooth.
- Make the sauce. Pour the blended veggies into the stock pot. Add the remaining chicken broth, half and half, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and salt/pepper to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Lastly, add the ricotta cheese and stir until creamy and heated through.
- Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccini pasta (or other pasta of your choice) in some salty water. (Salt adds FLAVOR.) Cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Combine. Add the cooked fettuccini to the pot of sauce and stir to combine. You may also want to add some pasta water to the sauce to thin it slightly.
- Serve. Test sauce to make sure you have the right amount of seasonings. Serve pasta with some extra parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips and Variations:
- You can either roast the butternut squash or cook it in the stock pot. Either way works. Just make sure you puree the veggies after they’re tender and then add it back to the pot.
- I like to reserve some squash for serving, but this is optional.
- If you roast the veggies, you’ll need to add some broth to the blender when you puree them.
- Adding parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese to the sauce will add some creaminess and saltiness. You can also add other types of cheese, but make they are easy-to-melt cheese.
- Always reserve some pasta water in case you need it to thin the sauce.
- Instead of fettuccini, feel free to use different types of pasta – like regular spaghetti, rotini, or rigatoni.
Made this for Saturday night dinner and it was fantastic. So creamy you don’t know it’s made from squash and is healthy. Well, as healthy as a big bowl of pasta can be and I like a big bowl.
I threw in some spinach for added nutritional value and felt even better about it. 😋
Thank you Shari! I’m definitely a pasta lover too, and like to experiment with different sauces. 🙂
The best ever and truly amazing!
It’s so creamy with tons of flavor. I highly recommend!