One of our favorite fall / winter pasta dishes… this Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta is equal parts easy to make and incredibly delicious.
I’m always on a pasta kick. I love carbs. It’s just the right way to live. Mixing things up with different sauces keeps things interesting and this butternut squash pasta sauce is truly perfection. Roasted butternut squash (sometimes from my best friends garden when it’s in season) roasted with shallots, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and some stock make the most perfect sauce.
A couple things about this sauce:
- You can make this dairy free by subbing out the heavy cream. If you don’t mind a coconut flavor, a full fat coconut milk is a great substitute.
- You can add extra flavor into this by swapping in different kinds of cheese, more fresh herbs, a dollop of salsa verde etc.
- Pasta shape is VERY flexible. If you’re into an elbow, use it! It’s a great way to keep the sauce tucked into the elbows.
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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
A super easy Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta that you'll want to put into your weekly rotation!
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes (about 4 cups once cubed)
- 2 shallots halved
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 lb spaghetti
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Serve with:
- Grated pecorino
- Fresh herbs like thyme basil, chives or parsley
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the butternut squash, shallots, garlic and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer into a 425-degree oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
- While the butternut squash is roasting, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Once the squash is tender, remove and transfer to a blender with the garlic and shallots with chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Add the cream, nutmeg and reserved cooking liquid and continue to blender. Once smooth, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer the liquid to a medium pot and keep over low heat to keep warm.
- Add a few large spoonful’s of the sauce to the pasta and toss to combine. Continuing adding sauce until it’s as saucy as you want. Serve with pecorino, herbs and freshly cracked black pepper.
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Is it okay to use canned butternut squash purée?
I haven’t tried it with puree but yes it should totally work!
Any thoughts on the best dairy free substitute for cream? I often use an almond milk/coconut creamer but it has a strong flavor.
I would say coconut milk
I make a cashew cream by soaking cashews in hot water for 30 minutes, draining and rinsing with cold water then blending in a high speed blender with water (i do a 2:1 ratio for water to cashews) 🙂 it’s a great plant based substitute that’s creamier than almond milk, but doesn’t have the strong coconut flavor!! Blends right into the flavors you’re cooking with.
Luxurious and delicious. A must make in the fall and winter!
If I wanted to add a meat to this, what would go well with the flavors?
I’d do some steak on the side! Or pork!
This is a major crowd pleaser! Comes together very easily. This is exactly what I want to eat every single day of the cold weather season. I recommend keeping a bit extra pasta water just in case you need to get the sauce to a saucier consistency. This goes so well with just about every single one of Gaby’s salad on the side!
Does this freeze well?
it does!
When you say 2 shallots-do you mean 2 whole shallots or 2 cloves of the shallot?
2 whole shallots!!
Super creamy and delicious. Used GF pasta and coconut milk due to family sensitivities. Served with Chicken Hot Italian sausage on the side. Will make again & again.
I made this the first time exactly as the recipe says and it was tasty, but felt like it was missing something.. The second time I added some spicy italian sausage and it was AMAZING! making it again today at my husband’s request.
I had the same feeling, but then positively DUMPED fresh herbs on top at the end and it was PERFECT. So tasty. Fresh herbs (and lots of cheese) for the win!
Made this tonight for dinner my family and little guy loved it !!!❤️
I love everything pasta and I love anything Gaby is cooking. I went to a restaurant and tried butternut squash pasta and was so disappointed. You see I was in Florence Italy and had it back in 2007 and it was amazing but since I have been totally disappointed. That is until now! It never crossed my mind to just prepare it at home myself but with your fantastic recipe and instructions I did and it was delicious . Thank you for always giving us something new and wonderful to try at home. Your cooking skills are amazing but you make it easy for home cooks to follow. Love it
I don’t have heavy cream, would you recommend creme fraiche, nonfat Greek yogurt, or nonfat milk?
milk!
I absolutely loved this. I use bouillon to make my stocks, but my head must have been day dreaming of this delicious dish when I accidentally used a tablespoon of bouillon to my cup and a half of stock. It made it taste more dense, heartier and paired with the half cup of heavy cream… OMG.
I think the cup and a half of stock is perfect. I’ve seen recipes where it calls for two cups, etc., and when you add even a little too much stock, it can make the sauce lack density. This is a phenomenal sauce. You get the creamy, sweet elements from the squash and heavy cream along with the richness of the chicken stock. I’ll be tailoring this recipe to make soup in the near future. Absolutely yum! I even added some pancetta for crunch.
This looks amazing! Quick question about roasting the butternut squash – do you think the end result would be different if I just roast the butternut squash by cutting in half and roasting unpeeled first and then scooping it out into the blender? thanks!
would be perfect – just will take longer to roast
One of my favorite fall recipes!!
Very good
Excellent! I skipped the cream but replaced with melted cream cheese, love the garlic/shallot combo!
Do you think canned pumpkin purée would be a good substitute for the squash?
as long as it doesnt have any added sugar
Great family meal! My one year old was literally licking his plate clean!
If you don’t have a high power blender could you do the sauce in a food processer?
yes!
How many cups of squash would you need for this recipe?
4-5 cups
I am a pasta lover and I am curious about the taste but I bet this is delicious. Will definitely try this one soon. Thank you for sharing this.
Gaby,
I am planning on making this tomorrow night. It looks yummy. I just love your videos, so inspiring. Do you think use coconut milk instead of cream would alter the taste of the sauce?
yes it would def change the flavor and make it a little thai
I made this last night and we enjoyed it very much. There is enough sauce left over for two more meals as there are just the two of us. I didn’t have shallots, so I used a small onion instead and it turned out fine. I also used creme fraiche instead of heavy cream as I had half a pot open.
A delicious use for the pounds of frozen butternut squash in my freezer from last year’s bounty! Love this recipe—was spooning the sauce into my mouth while I waited for the pasta to cook! Thank you!
Would it taste ok if I used vegetable broth?
yes!
Could you substitute spaghetti squash for the noodles?
sure thing
Loved this recipe! Any ideas for how to repurpose leftover sauce?
I made this tonight and felt it was one of the best dishes EVER! Wonderful fall recipe that was super tasty. I will freeze the leftover sauce as it made quite a bit for just two of us. I also would like to add some steak next time for protein. What else would you recommend? Love all your recipes!
I would serve a steak on the side with this! would be delish
I made too much for 2 people. Can this be frozen? If not, I guess I’ll eat it with a spoon. So yummy!
sure can!
This was so easy to make and delicious! I used coconut milk instead of cream, and used chickpea pasta. Added sautéed spinach too. Good with hot pepper flakes too for a little heat!
Ooooh, this is perfect for the chilly weather.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good!! I needed to add a little more chicken broth to the sauce to help get it the right consistency. The whole family loved it and both kiddos asked for second helpings! Bonus – my house smelled amazing while the butternut squash was roasting!
Great recipe that is easy to follow and tastes so delicious with few ingredients! It was a hit on NYE with my kids, keep the delicious recipes coming! Thank you for sharing.
Added some bacon, is so delicious, will make. Over and over !