Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Creamy butternut squash pasta made with roasted butternut squash, garlic and parmesan. The thick and creamy sauce (that's pretty hard not to eat straight from the bowl) is tossed with penne pasta for a quick and incredibly good Fall dinner the whole family will enjoy!

We give you the easiest, creamiest butternut squash pasta!

This butternut squash pasta is the solid comfort food for us. It's almost like mac and cheese with a thick, creamy and moreish sauce but healthy.

The difference with this recipe is that the creaminess doesn't come from a cheese sauce is comes from roasted butternut squash and garlic.

Once they are blitzed up with a little splash of cream and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

It creates the most good thick sauce that's not only great for pasta but can be used in so many different ways. It's the solid comfort food for Fall.

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Cut the squash – First, cut the skin off the butternut squash and cut it into medium-sized cubes.

Roast it – Place on a baking tray and sprinkle over the oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil (photo1).

Make sure everything is coated with the spices and olive oil then roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until soft (photo 2).

Tip: When the squash is almost ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.

Blitz the sauce – When the butternut squash is ready, add it to a blender or food processor.

Remove the garlic from their skins and add that too then blitz until silky smooth. Add the cream and parmesan and blitz again until smooth and creamy (photos 4 & 5).

Toss with pasta – Drain the pasta then add it back into the pot you boiled it in, pour over the sauce and toss to coat (photos 6-9).

Important tip: Always reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. If the consistency of the sauce is too thick dilute it a little with some pasta water (not too much).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Choose a good squash – When buying the squash choose one without any blemishes.
• How to cut it – Squash isn't as hard as you think to cut if you have a sharp knife (see the video for how we do it) alternatively you can buy pre-cut squash.

Our sauce is too thick, what should we do?

Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water to thin out the sauce to reach the desired consistency. You can also add a touch more cream.

Can we prepare this in advance?

This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can we freeze the sauce?

Yes, you can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Let it defrost fully before reheating.

Why you need to reserve the pasta water

Using pasta water to emulsify sauces is a great way to add extra flavour to the pasta.

The reason it's important with this butternut squash pasta is that the sauce can have a thick consistency depending on how much water is in the actual squash naturally (everyone is different).

If after blitzing the butternut squash it's thick like mashed potatoes don't worry add reserved pasta water to thin it out!

More ways to use the creamy butternut squash sauce

• Pour over chicken (heat the sauce gently and add cooked chicken or pour over to serve)
• It would also be good served with breaded chicken cutlets
• Toss with pasta, add mozzarella and bake it in the oven until golden and bubbling.

More comfort food recipes you might like

• Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce
• Butternut Squash Risotto With Thyme
• Butternut Squash Lasagna – Sage, Prosciutto & Goats Cheese
• Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
• Penne with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce
• Mushroom Ravioli with Parmesan Cream Sauce

This recipe has been one of our most popular recipes for a long time now so we thought we'd update this post with better photos and a great step by step guide.

We hope you enjoy this as much as we do and found all the tips helpful.

More squash and pumpkin recipes to try

Risotto

Taleggio Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage

Fresh Pasta

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce

Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto With Thyme

Pasta

Butternut Squash Lasagna – Sage, Prosciutto & Goats Cheese

Ingredients

Makes 4 people

• 14 oz (400g) penne pasta
• 1 lb (500g) butternut squash
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (plus extra for garnish (if desired))
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp heavy cream ((double cream))
• 1/4 cup (20g) freshly grated parmesan
• salt and pepper (, to season)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• small handful of basil (, to garnish)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.

2. Cut the skin off the butternut squash and cut into medium-sized cubes. Place on a baking tray with the garlic cloves (skin still on). Sprinkle over the oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Add the olive oil and rub over the squash with your hands so the squash and garlic are evenly coated in the spices. Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until the squash and garlic are soft, toss halfway through.

4. After 20 minutes of roasting the squash bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the penne and cook according to instructions until al dente, drain. Tip: Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining, see notes.

5. Once the squash is cooked, place in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and add that to the squash with the cream and parmesan. Blitz until smooth and creamy. Add extra salt if required.

6. Add the sauce to the drained pot you cooked the pasta in or a clean skillet and add 1 cup pasta water, stir to combine to thin out the sauce. If it's still too thick add more until you reach the desired consistency.

7. Add the cooked penne and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Serve with torn basil leaves.

Kitchen notes

• Choose a good squash When buying the squash choose one without any blemishes.
• How to cut it Squash isn't as hard as you think to cut if you have a sharp knife (see the video for how we do it) alternatively you can buy pre-cut squash.
• Emulsify the sauce Always reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta. If the consistency of the sauce is too thick dilute it a little with some pasta water (not too much).
• Prepare ahead of time This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezing You can also freeze the butternut squash sauce on its own without pasta.
• More ways to use the sauce Pour over chicken (heat the sauce gently and add cooked chicken or pour over to serve)
• It would also be good served with breaded chicken cutlets
• Use as pizza sauce (because it's sweeter than tomato sauce go for toppings such as sausage, capers, salami and onion. Something that'll cut through the sweetness.)