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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 delicious Fall dinner the whole family will enjoy!
I give you the easiest, creamiest butternut squash pasta!
This butternut squash pasta is the perfect comfort food for me. It’s almost like mac and cheese with a thick, creamy and very 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 delicious thick sauce that’s not only great for pasta but can be used in so many different ways. It’s the perfect 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.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItBlitz 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 make sure to 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.
Make sure to 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.
This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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 really thick like mashed potatoes don’t worry just 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 delicious 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 my most popular recipes for a long time now so I thought I’d update this post with better photos and a great step by step guide.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do and found all the tips helpful.
More squash and pumpkin recipes to try
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the cooked penne and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Serve with torn basil leaves.
Video
Notes
- Choose a good squash – When buying the squash make sure to 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 delicious 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.)
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks so good! What a simple and delicious way to spice up pasta for guests!
Hi, I want to make this recipe for my family this weekend but I don’t understand what you meant by “cream”.
what do you mean by “cream”?
Heavy whipping cream, cream cheese . . . ?
Thank you!
Hi Jeannine, it’s heavy cream that’s to be used. Hope you enjoy, thank you!
Could you use a different cheese as I don’t like parmesan?
Hi Michelle, you could skip it altogether or add a little cheddar finely grated so it melts into the sauce.
Going to try this – had 2 questions though 😊
1 – are chili flakes the same as red pepper flakes? You mentioned both in the recipe so I wasn’t sure 🤷♀️
2 – has anyone tried adding chicken to this? Was thinking I’d cut up some & cook it in a skillet then add to the pasta & sauce unless that’d be bad for some reason.
Thanks for giving me a new recipe! 😀
Adding my website below even though it’s not currently up…hopefully soon 😀
Hi Andrea, yes they are the same thing (sorry for the confusion) in the UK we call them chili flakes. Also yes, feel free to add chicken that would work well. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! Trying it tonight for supper! 😀
I love the ideas you have for the sauce! I would have never considered adding it to a pizza base but I can see how this could work!!
Thanks so much Simone!
Loved this recipe! To reduce sodium I replaced 1/2 cup ricotta for the 1/2 cup parmesan and it was amazing!
Hi Katie, great idea! So happy you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner tonight, my family loved it!!
Hi Rachel, that’s great, so happy you all enjoyed it! Thank you!
Can I freeze this? How can I do that?
Hi Katie, you could freeze the sauce separately on its own then defrost, heat up and toss with pasta.
Ciao Emily,
This recipe looked and sounded so good however, I did not have the success the others have had. First of all it took almost an hour in the oven. After a half hour at 350 degrees on convection, the squash was still very hard so I turned up the heat to 375 degrees on convection for another 30 minutes. The squash was cut in one inch pieces so I don’t understand why it took so long. It’s not my oven. Secondly, after putting all the ingredients in the blender with the stated amounts in the recipe, I also experienced a “mashed potatoes” consistency. It was so thick that the ingredients would not mix so I had to add more cream. When I added the squash to the pasta, it was still too thick so I added a cup of the pasta water. It still was not the right consistency. It tasted good but I think when I re-heat the leftovers tomorrow, I will add some chicken stock to try and loosen up the sauce. Any thoughts or suggestions? Mi dispiace!
Hi Philip, so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as great as it should’ve. I always use a fan oven for all my recipes so I wonder why it took so long, especially if it was cut up small. I’ve never experienced the blended squash turning out super thick like mash although I’ve seen a couple photos of it turning out like that for people but then many others have had great results. I’m wondering if it’s to do with the amount of water in the squash? Adding chicken stock sounds like a great way to dilute it without losing flavour, be sure to let me know how that turns out! Grazie Mille, Emily!
Hi…it is my pleasure to inform you that after i posted this recipe on my Twitter ,,,I received within first 10 hours more than 25 likes …
That’s so great, thanks so much for sharing!