Enjoy Butternut Squash Penne Pasta with your family or friends. This meatless, filling and delicious meal yields four generous servings.
If you’re looking for a delicious, meatless main dish, may I suggest trying this recipe for roasted Butternut Squash Penne Pasta? It is a fairly simple recipe to make and the results are wonderful!
Roasted butternut squash is pureed with veggie broth, whipping cream (or milk), onions, Parmesan cheese, garlic and spices to create a velvety sauce that coats penne pasta!
Top the pasta with some crunchy toasted walnuts, more cheese and some parsley (all optional, of course) and you’ll have a decadent, meatless meal you and others will love!
Here’s how to make butternut squash penne pasta, step by step. Hope you enjoy it.
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Roast The Butternut Squash
Before preparing the butternut squash, preheat your oven to 400°F. so it will be hot and ready to go once the squash is peeled and cubed.
Peel the butternut squash (try to peel it until the white is gone and the orange flesh remains). Remove the seeds from the inside cavity and discard them.
Slice the squash across the width into a crescent shape and then cut each slice into 1″ cubes (these steps are shown in the collage photo below).
Place all of the squash cubes in a bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Season very lightly with salt and black pepper and toss again.
Spread the oiled and seasoned butternut squash cubes on a large baking sheet, keeping them in a single layer (for best roasting results).
Roast the squash at 400°F. for 25-30 minutes or until they become tender and slightly golden brown on the outside. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and set aside.
Prepare The Sauce
To make the sauce for the pasta, begin by heating 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet.
Add chopped onions and cook them for about 5 minutes or until they become tender and translucent in color.
To the onions add minced garlic, and dried thyme and sage. Combine them well and cook them for 1 more minute, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Now add vegetable broth to the skillet and stir it in until combined. Carefully add the roasted butternut squash and stir well.
Simmer the broth and veggies for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) and then remove the skillet from the heat source.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl and use an immersion blender to turn it into a thick puree. You can also use an electric mixer or a food processor to process it until it is thick and smooth.
Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients
Transfer the butternut squash puree back into the large skillet. Taste the puree and if necessary, adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, to suit your taste.
Stir in heavy whipping cream until it has been fully incorporated into the sauce. NOTE: Substitute whole milk or plant-based milk for the whipping cream, if desired.
Add grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best if you have it) and continue stirring until the Parmesan is combined and melted.
Toast Walnuts For (OPTIONAL) Topping
If you want to add some chopped toasted walnuts to top the finished pasta, here’s how to quickly do this. Place walnut pieces in a DRY skillet (no butter or oil).
Lightly toast the walnuts on medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn. They are done once they slightly darken and become fragrant.
Transfer the toasted walnuts to a paper towel, set them aside (while you cook the pasta) to enable them to cool to room temperature.
Cook Then Add Penne Pasta To Sauce
Cook the penne pasta in boiling water according to the package instructions. This will typically take about 10-12 minutes to fully cook them.
During the last couple minutes of cooking, transfer about 4 Tablespoons of the starchy pasta water out of the pan and add it to the butternut squash sauce in the skillet.
Stir the starchy water into the sauce until fully incorporated. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it well (but do not rinse it).
Immediately add the hot, drained pasta to the butternut squash sauce. Toss well, until the pasta and the sauce are fully combined and the pasta is well-coated with sauce.
Serve The Butternut Squash Penne Pasta
Portion the hot pasta into individual serving bowls or dishes. Serve immediately while the pasta and sauce are hot or add a garnish to the pasta before serving.
When I make this dish, I like to add a few additional toppings to garnish the pasta for presentation. This is optional, of course, but I recommend adding some more grated Parmesan cheese, toasted walnuts and a parsley leaf or two.
These additional toppings add texture (crunch from the walnuts), additional Parmesan flavor and a little bitty pop of color (parsley) to the meal.
Butternut Squash Penne Pasta is absolutely creamy and delicious and always is such a beautiful dish to serve to family or dinner guests.
We loved this meatless pasta dish, and I hope you have the opportunity to make it for those you love, too, because I’m confident it will be a big hit!
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.
Looking for More PASTA Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of pasta recipes to choose from, including:
- Bowtie Pasta Alfredo and Chicken
- Easy Tomato Basil Pasta
- Florentine Lasagna Roll
- Pasta Carbonara
- Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu
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Recipe adapted from Claire Laurent at: Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Recipe – Flavor Nectar
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Enjoy Butternut Squash Penne Pasta with your family or friends. This meatless, filling and delicious meal yields four generous servings.
- 2 pounds butternut squash *approx. 2 pounds
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *DIVIDED USE
- 1 small yellow onion peeled/finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream *Can sub. whole milk or plant-based
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces penne pasta (uncooked)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice both ends off squash and peel squash. Remove seeds. Slice squash across width into 1" thick crescent shapes; cut each slice into 1" cubes. Place squash in a bowl. Add 1 TBSP. olive oil; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt/pepper; toss again. Spread squash on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast at 400°F. for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; set aside.
Heat 1 TBSP. olive oil on medium heat in large skillet. Add chopped onions; cook for 5 minutes or until tender/translucent. Stir in garlic, thyme and sage. Cook 1 more minute, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn.
Stir in vegetable broth until combined. Add squash; stir well. Simmer 5 minutes (stirring often); remove skillet from heat. Pour mixture into a large bowl; use an immersion blender to puree it (or use electric mixer or food processor).
Transfer squash puree back into the skillet. Taste; add more salt/pepper as desired. Stir in cream until fully incorporated. NOTE: Substitute milk or plant-based milk for cream, if desired. Add grated Parmesan cheese; stir until melted.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package instructions. During last 2 minutes of cooking, transfer 4 TBSP of starchy pasta water out of the pan; add it to the butternut squash sauce; stir it in until combined. When pasta is done, drain it well (but do not rinse it). Immediately add hot drained pasta to the sauce. Toss well, until the pasta and sauce are fully combined.
Divide pasta into serving bowls or dishes. *If desired (optional), garnish each serving with more grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and toasted walnuts (directions for toasting walnuts are below in NOTE). Serve pasta hot and enjoy!
NOTE: To toast walnuts: Place chopped walnut pieces in a DRY skillet (no butter or oil). Lightly toast walnuts on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring often so they don't burn. They're done once they slightly darken/become fragrant. Transfer toasted walnuts to a paper towel; set aside (while you cook pasta) to let them cool to room temperature.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards! 