Valentina Ablaev
This butternut squash pasta is the perfect fall recipe. Tender rigatoni loaded with a creamy butternut pasta sauce with a light kick of heat. This creamy pasta sauce is so flavorful and packed with nutrients from the squash, and you wouldn’t even know!
Usually, we love a simple spaghetti sauce and even a parmesan alfredo sauce, but this butternut squash pasta sauce is on another level of flavor, especially during fall!
I have to say, squash is something I’ve always been skeptical of, but this butternut squash and pasta recipe intrigued me. The flavors are out of this world and come together perfectly in this recipe. And I have to say the squash blew me away, just like it did in our butternut squash salad!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible flavors. This roasted butternut squash sauce is loaded with layers of flavor.
- Beautiful presentation. This is one stunning dish and looks gorgeous on a plate.
- Sneaky vegetables. There’s no better way for picky eaters to get nutrients than a delicious pasta sauce.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce:
- Butternut squash – a whole squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large cubes.
- Garlic – whole garlic cloves add a great flavor to the pasta sauce.
- Cherry tomatoes – tomatoes add a light acidity to the pasta sauce.
- Seasoning – all you need is salt and ground black pepper for this pasta sauce.
- Broth – adds a great depth of flavor.
- Red pepper flakes – bring the perfect kick of heat to the pasta.
- Cream – heavy cream adds the perfect creaminess and makes this sauce so rich!
- Cheese – we love parmesan cheese for this recipe. It adds a salty flavor while bringing a creamy component.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
What Kind of Pasta is Best?
For this recipe, you can use your favorite pasta! However, we recommend a tubular pasta that absorbs as much sauce as possible. We recommend ziti, but you can use cavatappi or penne. Even long pasta, like the classic spaghetti or linguine, would taste incredible.
How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Roast ingredients. Add the cubed squash, onion, and garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season. Bake everything in the oven at 400°F for 15 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Make pasta. Meanwhile, you can cook your pasta. Boil a large pot of salted water and follow the box instructions, and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
3. Blend. Add the broth and all your roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the red pepper flakes and blend.
4. Combine. Add the squash puree to a pan, and seasoning, and simmer until it begins bubbling.
5. Stir in grated parmesan cheese and heavy cream.
6. Gently fold in the pasta and allow it to cook for a few minutes before serving.
Take Your Pasta Up a Notch:
- Top with protein: Take this pasta to the next level by adding some protein! Top with slices of pan-seared chicken breas, bits of crispy bacon or even sauteed shrimp.
- Garnish: Fresh herbs make the perfect garnish for a stunning dish. Save some fresh greens and finish your dish with a sprinkle of sage or even top with some parsley or basil.
Serving Suggestions
- Bread: Serve the pasta along with a batch of homemade breadsticks or slices of crispy italian bread.
- Salad: Pair this pasta with a hearty chicken salad, like our loaded grilled chicken salad recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can make the pasta and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can simply omit the heavy cream and cheese to make this dish entirely dairy-free. Oat, soy, or almond milk will all be a great substitute.
The squash needs to be blended, if you don’t have a blender, you can also use an immersion blender.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. This recipe tastes great the next day! Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up on a skillet on medium heat until reheated.
- Freeze. Add the leftover pasta to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight before warming up the pasta on a pan.
More Pasta Recipes
If you enjoyed this squash pasta recipe, be sure to try our other easy pasta recipes; here are some of our favorites:
- Marry Me Pasta Recipe – a viral tuscan favorite.
- Chicken Parm Pasta Recipe – a delicious marinara-based pasta.
- Pesto Pasta with Chicken Recipe – a tasty dish in the best pesto sauce.
- Creamy Chicken Scampi Recipe – an Olive Garden copycat and a fan-favorite!
- Alfredo Pasta in the Crockpot – our most popular slow cooker pasta recipe.
If you tried this butternut squash pasta recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium butternut squash seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1 large onion cubed
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper divided
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 oz pasta cooked al dente
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Add the squash, onion, and garlic cloves to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with half of the pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Roast 15 minutes; add tomatoes and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions to al dente.
- Transfer to a blender with the broth and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a large skillet over med/low heat. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and stir.
- Add pasta and cook until pasta is reheated.
- Serve and enjoy, friend.
Notes
- Top with protein: Take this salad to the next level by adding some protein! Top with slices of pan-seared chicken breast. It’s the perfect flavor combination.
- Garnish: Fresh herbs make the perfect garnish for a stunning dish. Save some fresh greens and finish your dish with a sprinkle of sage or even top with some parsley or basil.
- Storage. This recipe is one that tastes great the next day! Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up on a skillet on medium heat until reheated.
- Freeze. Add the leftover pasta in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight before warming up the pasta on a pan.
