This creamy butternut squash pasta is the perfect cozy meal for fall. Roasted butternut squash is blended with vegetable broth, cream, garlic, shallot, and fresh herbs to create a silky, flavorful sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti. It’s an easy vegetarian dinner that feels comforting and special while still being simple enough for a weeknight.
A Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta that Satisfies Your Fall Comfort Food Cravings
Nothing is more comforting to me in the fall than pretty much any kind of winter squash recipe! After making these stuffed shells with creamy pumpkin sauce last fall, I knew I wanted to come up with a similar sauce for pasta. Made with roasted whole butternut squash, cream, broth, and some basic aromatics, this creamy butternut squash sauce is easy to make and honestly the epitome of a cozy fall dinner.
The only reason this recipe isn’t ready super quickly is because of the time it takes for the butternut squash to roast. You can easily do this part ahead of time and keep the roasted squash in the fridge. If you do it that way, this vegetarian meal comes together in the amount of time it takes for the pasta to cook! Topped with some roasted hazelnuts, lemon zest, and parmesan, this creamy butternut squash pasta is perfect for fall weeknight meals or cozy slow weekends.
JUMP STRAIGHT TO:
- Butternut Squash Pasta Ingredients
- How to Make the Creamiest Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- My Preferred Butternut Pasta Toppings
- What to Serve with This Fall Pasta Recipe
Key Butternut Squash Pasta Ingredients
I prefer using a whole butternut and roasting it for the creamy pasta sauce. If time is of the essence and you want to get this fall comfort meal on the table quickly, you can use 1 1/2 cups of canned pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree. The cream is paramount in yielding a creamy sauce so don’t skimp here! I love using spaghetti with this creamy butternut sauce (I’ve been doing gluten free these days for my gut!) but honestly you can use any pasta that you like.
For more notes on ingredient swaps and subs, check out the notes section of the recipe card below!
How to Make the Creamiest Roasted Butternut Squash Sauce
Super tender roasted butternut squash blended with a little heavy cream and broth yields the creamiest pasta sauce! The bulk of the time this recipe takes is waiting on the butternut squash to roast but luckily you can do this a few days ahead of time if you like.
My preferred method for roasting butternut squash is to start with a whole squash, then trim off the very bottom and top, including the stem. Using a sharp knife and a steady hand, I slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp, then brush the squash with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper. It honestly takes me less than 5 minutes to do this!
Flip the squash over so that the cut side is facing down. This is arguably the most important step! Having the flesh face down creates steam which makes the flesh nice and tender (which yields a creamier sauce). It also allows the flesh to caramelize which adds depth of flavor to the sauce. The squash is ready when the skin has started to shrivel and the flesh is super tender and easily pierced with a knife or fork.
Once you can safely handle the squash, scoop out and measure 1 1/2 cups for the butternut squash cream sauce. You’ll most likely have leftover squash so I recommend putting it in a freezer container for another future batch of sauce (or try it in this butternut bread!). You’ll blend the roasted squash with cream, vegetable broth, and some apple cider vinegar until super smooth and creamy.
In order to add more depth of flavor to the butternut squash pasta sauce, you’ll sautee some shallot, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Pour in the pureed squash and cream mixture then stir and cook until heated through before adding your cooked pasta. It will look like a lot of sauce at first but don’t worry because the pasta will absorb a lot of it!
My Preferred Butternut Squash Spaghetti Toppings
I absolutely love to add a different texture with toppings on a creamy pasta because it makes for a delicious contrast in each bite. For this creamy butternut pasta, I prefer to top it with chopped roasted hazelnuts. They add a buttery and nutty flavor that works really well with the roasted squash. To add a bit of brightness, I top each bowl of pasta with some fresh lemon zest and a little sprinkle of shredded or grated parmesan. Trust me on this combo — it’s so dang good and takes this humble bowl of fall pasta from good to great!
What to Serve with this Fall Pasta Recipe
Honestly, when I’m cooking just for me (which is most of the time), this butternut squash pasta is filling and satisfying enough on its own so I rarely make anything to go with it! If you’re serving a crowd, it definitely makes sense to add a leafy green salad like this kale, apple, and celery salad. If you’re making this for a vegetarian fall dinner party, I would definitely add my apple cider mocktails to the menu along with these apple crumble bars with salted date caramel for dessert!
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Roasted Squash
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This creamy butternut squash pasta is the perfect cozy meal for fall. Roasted butternut squash is blended with vegetable broth, cream, garlic, shallot, and fresh herbs to create a silky, flavorful sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti. It’s an easy vegetarian dinner that feels comforting and special while still being simple enough for a weeknight.
Ingredients
- One 2–pound butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Sea salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 12 ounces spaghetti, or other pasta, gluten free as needed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Grated parmesan, optional for serving
- Roasted hazelnuts, chopped, optional for serving
- Lemon zest, optional for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the seeds and pulp from the butternut then slice in half lengthwise. Place the squash halves on a lined baking sheet and drizzle the flesh with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Brush the oil over the flesh of the squash then season with salt and pepper. Flip the squash over onto the lined baking sheet with the flesh facing down. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes until fork tender. The fork should be able to very easily pierce the flesh. This can be done 1-3 days ahead of time and kept in the fridge.
While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil. Season it generously with salt. During the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time for the squash, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup pasta water. Drain but don’t rinse the pasta!
Once the roasted squash comes out of the oven, heat your largest skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Scoop out the flesh of the roasted butternut and measure 1 1/2 cups (packed) then add it to a blender along with the cream, vegetable broth, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Save any extra roasted butternut squash in the freezer for another batch or use it in other recipes.
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet. Once it shimmers, add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the shallot just begins to turn golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the rosemary, thyme, and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the pureed butternut squash mixture and stir then reduce the heat to medium low. Season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the sauce is heated through, then add the cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Remove the pasta from the heat. Serve it into bowls and top with a sprinkle of roasted chopped hazelnuts, parmesan, and lemon zest.
Keep leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot over medium low heat with a few splashes of broth, milk, or water.
I do not recommend freezing the butternut squash pasta as it tends to become mushy once thawed but you can freeze the sauce by itself! Place the sauce or any leftover roasted butternut squash in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Notes
- If you want a quicker meal without waiting for the butternut squash to roast, sub in 1 1/2 cups of canned pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree. Blend it with the cream, broth, and apple cider vinegar as called for in the recipe.
- If you prefer, you can roast the butternut squash 1-3 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Use gluten free pasta to make this recipe gluten free as needed.
- If you’d like to make this pasta vegan, use an equal amount of vegan cream or coconut cream for the heavy cream called for in the recipe. Top the pasta with vegan parm.
- Apple cider vinegar helps add a bit of acidity to the sauce which balances the flavors. If you don’t have any, you can use an equal amount of lemon juice or any mild-tasting vinegar.
- For the sprig of rosemary, aim for one about 6-7 inches long. If yours are on the smaller side, use two of them.
- Yields 4 very generous main dish/entree-sized portions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
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