Description
This creamy butternut squash pasta recipe features roasted squash and onions blended into a velvety sauce seasoned with sage and nutmeg, then tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. It’s a comforting, flavorful fall dish that’s easy to prepare and highlights seasonal ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 whole butternut squash, 2 pounds (566 grams), peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion (2 cups/293 grams), cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Pasta
- 1 pound (453 grams) pasta
- ½ teaspoon fresh sage
- 1 cup (236 ml) vegetable stock
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the squash and onions.
- Prepare Vegetables: Spread the butternut squash cubes and onion chunks evenly on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with dried sage, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat everything evenly while keeping the vegetables in a single layer for proper roasting rather than steaming.
- Roast Vegetables: Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Then add the unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan and continue roasting for an additional 10 minutes until the squash is tender when tested with a fork. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Cook Pasta: While the vegetables roast and cool, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook your pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta once done.
- Make Sauce: Peel the roasted garlic cloves and add them along with the cooled roasted vegetables, fresh sage, and vegetable stock into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy with a sauce-like consistency. For a soup-like consistency, add more vegetable stock as desired.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Immediately toss the drained pasta with the creamy butternut squash sauce to coat well.
- Garnish and Serve: Serve the pasta hot, garnished generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor and richness.
Notes
- Be sure to cut the butternut squash into uniform cubes to ensure even roasting.
- Roasting the vegetables in a single layer prevents steaming and develops better caramelization and flavor.
- The sauce can be thinned with extra vegetable stock if preferred thinner, even to a soup consistency.
- Fresh sage added at the blending stage enhances the herbaceous flavor of the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese can be substituted with a vegan alternative to make the dish vegan-friendly.
- Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
