Butternut Squash Pasta
Butternut squash lovers, this one’s for you — must-try butternut squash pasta! We use roasted butternut for the creamy, garlicky sauce, with chunks of it served right on top! This recipe is also a fantastic way to use roasted garlic. So much flavor, goodness, and nutrients.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium (3 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided plus more as needed
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 whole head of garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine pasta
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425° F.
- Prepare the butternut squash for roasting. Arrange the butternut squash cubes on a large sheet pan and season well with kosher salt and black pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and toss to make sure the squash is well coated. Spread the butternut squash so all the cubes are in one single layer.
- Prepare the garlic head for roasting. Peel the loose outer papery skins but leave the cloves intact. Slice the top ¼ to ½ inch off of the garlic bulb, leaving the cloves exposed. Make sure all of the cloves have some portion exposed so they roast properly. Put the garlic, cut side up, in a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then fold the foil so it fully encases the garlic. Place it on the sheet pan with the butternut squash.
- Roast the squash and garlic. Place the sheet pan on the middle rack of your heated oven. Roast for about 30 minutes or so, checking part-way through to turn the cubes of squash over. When ready the butternut squash and garlic should be very tender and charred in some parts.
- Cook the pasta. While the butternut squash is roasting, boil a large pot of water and salt it well. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions to al dante. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water (you’ll use this for the sauce). Drain the pasta into a colander and set the pot back on the stove.
- Puree the roasted butternut squash. When the butternut squash is ready, remove it from the oven. Reserve about 1 to 1 ½ cups of the cubed butternut squash to the side for now and put the rest of the butternut squash in the large bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its paper husks and add it to the food processor with the roasted squash. Add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Close the lid and pulse a few times, pouring 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water from the top opening, until the squash is pureed to a smooth and creamy consistency. If you feel like it’s too thick then add 1 tablespoon of pasta water at a time until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
- Make the sauce. Transfer the pureed butternut squash to the pot where you cooked the pasta. Add the rosemary, nutmeg, and paprika, and the grated cheeses. Cook over medium-low, stirring regularly, and if needed, add a little more of the pasta cooking water or more extra virgin olive oil until the cheese is melted and the butternut squash is creamy and smooth to your liking.
- Finish the dish. Add the pasta to the butternut squash sauce. Stir to combine and finish with more cheese if you like. Stir in the reserved roasted squash pieces. Divide the pasta among your friends and family and enjoy!
Notes
- Variation: Feel free to add some crispy bacon or prosciutto to the pasta right along with the chunks of butternut squash.
- Serving ideas: Start with a big salad, like my shaved Brussels sprouts salad or fennel orange salad.
- How to store and reheat leftovers: Only mix as much pasta and sauce as you can finish at one time, so you can store leftovers separately. Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils, spices, and grains.
Nutrition
Calories: 544.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 83.6g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 16.6g | Saturated Fat: 5.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.7g | Cholesterol: 20.8mg | Sodium: 192.6mg | Potassium: 989.5mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 7.2g | Vitamin A: 24329.9IU | Vitamin C: 47.8mg | Calcium: 326.3mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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