Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
This creamy butternut squash pasta is one of my go-to cozy recipes when I've got a butternut squash to use up. It uses roasted butternut squash and garlic with sage and thyme for a rich, deep flavor - and is ready in under an hour with very little hands-on cooking required!
This pasta sauce is so creamy that you'd honestly think cream has been used to make it. However, this creamy butternut squash pasta sauce is completely vegan-friendly!
Other butternut squash recipes I think you'll love include this gorgeous butternut squash and white bean pasta (so creamy, and great for an added boost of fiber and protein), this viral baked feta and butternut squash pasta, and this butternut squash and red pepper soup.
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient quantities and instructions for this recipe. Below are a few notes on the ingredients used in this recipe, plus some potential swaps or variations.
- Butternut Squash: I use a whole butternut squash for this recipe, which I cut in half lengthways and roast for 45 minutes until it smells gorgeous! You could use frozen cubed butternut squash as an alternative.
- Garlic: I roast a small head of garlic along with the butternut squash for this recipe, using about 3-4 cloves for the sauce, which will serve about 4 people. The roasted garlic adds a huge amount of flavor to this recipe so I highly recommend it - but fresh minced garlic will also work. Garlic powder is acceptable in a real pinch!
- Shallots: Roughly diced shallots, sauteed and then blended with the butternut squash and garlic, add another delicious aromatic element to the sauce.
- Seasonings: This recipe is seasoned with sage, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper for ultimate cozy vibes. Rosemary would also be a nice addition.
- Nutritional yeast: The nutty, slightly cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast is so perfectly suited to the creamy butternut squash. If you don't have this ingredient, some grated hard cheese, like Pecorino, is a nice substitute.
- Pasta: Any pasta shape will work well here - I used spirali pasta in the photos for this recipe, but linguine, rigatoni, or even shells will work great. You'll need to reserve about 1 cup (250mls) of the pasta water to pour into the pasta sauce too.
Making Your Butternut Squash Pasta
Step 1) Roast Your Butternut Squash
Cut your butternut squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds (I use an ice cream scoop for this and it works great!).
Drizzle over some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and add a small head of garlic to the baking tray too. Roast the butternut squash and garlic for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the size.
Step 2) Saute Your Shallots
In a pan, heat a little olive oil and saute your sliced shallots for 6-8 minutes until they're soft and fragrant.
Step 3) Blend the Sauce
Once the butternut squash is roasted, scoop out the flesh and squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Add the butternut squash (approximately 2 cups) and about 3-4 garlic cloves to a blender along with the sauteed shallots and blend until smooth and creamy.
Step 3) Add Seasonings
Pour the sauce back into your pan, and add the seasonings and nutritional yeast.
Step 4) Add Pasta
Tip in your cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water, stirring so the pasta is fully coated. Serve with an extra sprinkle of black pepper and, optionally, some red pepper flakes for a little spice.
Top Tips
- Adding Pasta Water to the Sauce: Another key step to this sauce is to reserve a little of your cooked pasta water to add to the sauce (about 1 cup / 250ml). This helps the sauce really come together and create a silky, creamy sauce that perfectly coats the pasta.
- To make this sauce really creamy, blend some cashews into the sauce too. Alternatively, a spoonful of creme fraiche will work great.
Storage
My recommendation would be to store the pasta sauce separately from the pasta if you're making it ahead of time. Making the pasta fresh before serving simply gives you better results.
Store your butternut squash pasta in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
The sauce is also perfect for freezing. Defrost fully before reheating, and always use defrosted food within 24 hours of defrosting.
FAQs
What Pasta to Use for this Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe?
My personal favorites for this dreamy, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce are spirali, linguine or rigatoni.
However, just use whatever pasta shape you have to hand, and it will still taste amazing.
How to serve this recipe?
I love to saute some large mushrooms to get them really crispy and also add some fresh basil to this recipe.
Super simple, but super delicious. The sauce packs such a punch that you really don't want to add too much to your plate. You could add your protein of choice to make this a balanced meal, or just serve it with some garlic bread for a cozy comfort food dinner!
This is a great meal on its own but could also be nice paired with a simple salad.
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
This creamy butternut squash pasta is the perfect healthy but cozy comfort food dinner, paired with roasted garlic, sage, and thyme for a rich flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (approximately 2 cups of squash)
- 4 banana shallots
- 1 small head of garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 300g pasta + 200ml reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C | 395 F
- Cut your butternut squash in half lengthways, then scoop out the seeds (using an ice cream scoop makes this process much easier!).
- Add your butternut squash, and the head of garlic to a baking tray, then drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, plus a sprinkle of salt, and pepper.
- Roast for around 30 - 45 minutes (depending on how big your squash is!)
- Meanwhile, roughly slice the shallots and saute them in the remaining olive oil until soft and fragrant.
- Remove the squash and garlic from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so. When they are cool enough, remove the garlic from the skin (this should be easy to squeeze out!) and scoop the butternut squash flesh out from the skins.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the package instructions and reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Add the garlic cloves (I use 3 - 4 roast cloves) and about 2 cups of the roasted butternut squash flesh into a food processor or blender with the shallots, and blend into a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Add the pasta sauce back to your pan and stir in the seasonings and nutritional yeast. Taste and season according to your tastes.
- Stir in the pasta and 150ml of the reserved pasta water - adding more if necessary. Cook until the pasta is fully coated and the sauce is thick and silky.
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of black pepper, and a few chilli flakes for a litle extra spice.
Notes
If you can’t find a fresh butternut squash to roast, frozen cubed butternut squash will also work. Measure out approximately 2 cups to ensure you use the correct quantity.
You could also cook the butternut squash and garlic in the same pan as the shallots, but you’ll need to stir the pan often and the flavor may not come out as rich as it does when you roast the squash.
A pumpkin is also a good substitute for a butternut squash, delivering the same creamy flavor.
Watch the Recipe Video:
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 371Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 593mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 8gSugar: 17gProtein: 10g
